Taxi Driver Urge Bimp-Eaga To Resolve Issues
By Norizan Murshict

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Muara Taxi Association (BMTA) has high hopes that the Bimp-Eaga sub-regional meeting to discuss follow-up actions in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing especially on cross border movement of public transportation would facilitate taxi drivers in Brunei.

BMTA President Hj Bakar bin Hj Hamdan told the Borneo Bulletin that his members hope their problems in border crossing, especially between Brunei, Sarawak and Sabah could at least be solved at the meeting.

He said a letter produced by the Brunei Motor Transport Licensing Authority (BMTLA) on Jan 7, 2003 in which Brunei taxis can cross the border to Miri and Limbang without applying for permit-referring to earlier agreement between Brunei and Sarawak relevant authorities - was not recognised by the Sarawak authority.

"On April 7, 2006, a taxi driver from Brunei was fined RM300 for entering Limbang to send passengers without a permit as the letter from BMTLA was not recognised by the authority there.

"Our association was also informed by a taxi driver in Kuala Belait that he was told that he could enter Miri to send passengers but was not allowed to pick up any in Miri.

"We hope this issue can be resolved at the meeting," he said, adding that a similar issue was forwarded by the association at a meeting held last March 10, 2007 at the Meeting Room, 3' Floor, Ministry of Communication in Berakas.

The fifth Bimp-Eaga Transport, Infrastructure and ICT development (TIICTD) Cluster Meeting will be held at Centrepoint Hotel, Gadong and will be chaired by Communications Director of Transportation Ang Kim Gum.

Participants of the meeting will be comprised of government representatives of the four Bimp-Eaga countries, Bimp-Eaga Facilitation Centre, the Asian Development Bank and the German Technical Cooperation, Asean Secretariat and the private sector.

The TIICTD Cluster Meeting consists of working group on air and sea linkages, land transport, ICT and telecommunications, and construction. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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