RESIDENT Azizul Julirn noted that travel from Lohan to Kundasang can take between two and three hours during holiday periods.
He pointed out that Ranau is represented by senior state leaders holding key positions in the Sabah Government, yet road infrastructure remains largely unchanged despite decades of economic growth and increasing tourist arrivals.
“Kundasang is the heart of the local economy and a key gateway connecting eastern and western Sabah. Yet the road infrastructure remains much the same as it was 30 years ago,” he said.
“Residents hope to finally see meaningful improvements to basic infrastructure that reflect the district’s importance as one of Sabah’s premier tourism destinations’” he said.
The debate over road upgrades intensified earlier this year when Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan revealed that no proposals had been identified under the Highway Network Development Plan 2040 (HNDP 2040) to upgrade Federal Route 22 between Kundasang and Ranau.
According to the ministry, traffic census data currently classifies the road’s Level of Service (LOS) as Grade A — the least congested category — indicating that existing capacity remains sufficient.
The assessment has surprised many local road users who experience severe traffic congestion during peak holiday periods.
Despite the frustration, visitors continue to flock to Kundasang. Tourist Abdul Hamid said his family endured the lengthy delays because they had already planned their holiday.
“We missed our check-in time, but what matters is that we arrived safely, even though it took several hours,” he said.
Another local resident, Japiril Suhaimin, highlighted the untapped potential of the Pinausok-Semuruh-Kinandusan route as an alternative access road.
According to him, a journey from Pinausok to Kundasang via the main road took some 44 minutes on May 30 despite covering only 7.3km.
By comparison, travelling through the Pinausok-Semuruh-Kinandusan route took only about 15 minutes.
"This proves that a faster alternative route already exists, but it has remained a gravel road since around the 1980s,” he said.
Japiril estimated that upgrading the approximately five-kilometre road through resurfacing alone could cost less than RM6 million, as it would not require major road widening or new structures.
He suggested that a small portion of Sabah’s RM1.5 billion interim allocation announced by the Prime Minister could be utilised to improve the route.
“Upgrading this road would not only reduce congestion but also improve emergency response times for ambulances and fire engines while enhancing road safety,” he said.
