KOTA KINABALU: The number of visitors to the tamu has reduced after the recent fuel price hike.
Supini Sopiah Jimi, who sells eggs at the open market, said the visitors also have less purchasing power now.
“Villagers who go to the tamu to shop for raw food like vegetables, fruits, fish and eggs now have problem going to the tamu. Before this, they travel from the villages with ‘pawong’ (private rented transportation service).
“Following the recent increase in fuel prices, many could not travel to town as frequently as the ‘pawong’ has increased their fees,” she said, adding that for the villagers particularly in Tamparuli, private rented transportation service is the only form of transportation.
Supini runs an egg supplying business here, and she also sells eggs at tamus throughout the West Coast of Sabah which include Kinarut, Tamparuli, Menggatal, Telipok, Ranau and Inanam.
“We cannot increase the prices of the eggs or our delivering services as the egg prices are fixed and controlled by the government. Therefore, having to deliver eggs to different parts of Kota Kinabalu, the recent fuel hike has reduced our profit to very minimal,” said the woman who delivers eggs to restaurants, bakeries and shops from Telipok up to Putatan areas with vans and a lorry.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver in Gaya Street here, Ng Huan Ling, said that the taxi fees would remain the same until there is an answer from the Sabah United Taxi Association and the government.
“Before the price of fuel increased, I used RM30 to fill up my fuel in a working day. After the fuel hike, it has increased to RM40 daily. But we cannot simply increase our charges as we have to obey the regulations.
“The fuel hike has made our income almost insufficient for our living cost and to support our family. We are being patient now and waiting for further announcement from the association.
“We hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible, because we, too, have to make our living,” he said.