Plea for damaged bridge to be fixed for the sake of 58 students in Pitas

PITAS - Residents of five villages, here, are pleading for the suspension bridge which was damaged by heavy floods that hit the district, last year, to be immediately repaired.

This was to make it easier for the children to go to school.

It is understood that 58 students from the villages namely Kampung Bilangau Besar, Kampung Sapatalang, Kampung Salungkapit, Kampung Mandurian Laut and Kampung Kobon, had to take the boats to cross the Bengkoka river to reach their school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Dandun.

Kampung Bilangau Besar village head Eddword Upak said the bridge was in a very bad condition to the point that it could not be crossed by the villagers.

"The 90 metres long bridge is completely unusable and damaged due to the floods that hit the area from Jan 6 to Jan 9.

“Some parts are broken and the middle part is not stable and dangerous to be used especially for the children,” he said when contacted by Sinar Harian on Friday.

He also said due to the situation, parents of the students affected had to pay fare of up to RM3 for a return boat ride.

This, he said had added to the financial burden of the parents as most of them work as farmers.

“The fare for a return boat ride is RM2 for children while the parents who send them to school were charged RM3. They cannot afford this as their income only covers the daily expenses of the family,” he said.

He added that the bridge was the main route villagers used to go to the health clinic located in Kampung Dandun, where over 30 villagers would go to, to receive treatment.

Eddword said he had highlighted about their plight and hoped that the problem they were facing will be resolved.

“I hope the bridge will be immediately repaired as it is the main route connecting the villages and it is important for it to be fixed for the safety of the villagers,” he said.