Hundreds of students in Curtin University, Sarawak - expecially those who live outside the area of Curtin Village and Curtin Villa - will have transportation problems to go to the university starting next Monday, April 2.

The university's management board has implemented a new regulation for the Curtin shuttle bus service, which no longer provides transportation service for residents from the Senadin area. These Curtin students need the shuttle bus to go to the campus everyday since that is the only reliable public transportation available in the Senadin area.

Senadin is a rural area which is far away from Miri town. Unlike Kuala Lumpur, there are no LRT, Monorail and KTM. The only public transportation available here is the public bus. However, the public bus does not have a fixed time schedule. Most of the time, students have to wait for hours for it. Therefore, in order to attend classes on time, Curtin students have to rely on the Curtin shuttle bus.

The Curtin University's board has the responsibility to look after the welfare of all students. And they are from different parts of Malaysia as well as overseas - China, Nepal, Japan, Korea and Nigeria. It is clearly impossible for all of them to buy cars. Even if we assume that all Curtin students can afford to have their own cars, there is not enough parking spaces at the university.

In addition, Curtin Village and Curtin Villa have only limited accommodation for Curtin students, and they are available mostly for newcomers only. Due to this reason, lots of Curtin students have to find accommodation in the Senadin area.

If the Curtin shuttle bus service is only available for residents of Curtin Village and Curtin Villa, it will be unfair to students living in the Senadin area. The Curtin shuttle bus service is one of Curtin's facilities - all Curtin students should have the right to enjoy the shuttle bus service.

The writer is a member of Curtin Students Organisation.

Editor's note: Since the publication of the above letter, it is learnt that the university has decided to make the shuttle bus service available to all off-campus students.