The government should impose a designated route from Kota Kinabalu to Mengalum Island and ensure that boats traveling on this route could be reached by satellite signal.

Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw said boat skippers should also ensure they were able to communicate with maritime rescue agencies in the event of an emergency.

In responding to a reporter’s question, Liaw said the government ought to look into setting the minimum fee for island day trips based on quotation from legal operators to prevent irresponsible tour operators from selling packages without proper safety measures at cheap prices.

At the same time, Liaw is in favour of the suggestion by several tour operators to impose mandatory renewal of licence for boat crew members every year to ensure they attended safety courses. On top of that, he said tour boats should not travel solo in case of an emergency.

“I suggest that there should be a minimum of two tour boats traveling together to the same destination so that one or the other could assist or report to the relevant agencies in the event of an emergency.”

Additionally, Liaw said non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the tourism industry should sit down with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) to discuss how to regulate safety measures in island transfers.

He urged the relevant authority to seriously look into the complaints aired by tourism industry players. He said the authorities must take immediate action to curb illegal activities in the tourism industry, rather than address the issues only when serious incidents happened.

“Prevention is always better than cure,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Borneo Post

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