Their hours may appear to be long, but as much of their time is spent idle at the bus station and adjacent cafes in the company of their fellow drivers and friends, they seem quite happy with the arrangement. By this means and with cooperation between the Department and the Association, a system of public transport in Labuan has evolved. As the buses run without any form, of state assistance, it is probably the best that could be devised to accord with what the people require and that means those people that use the buses. Many of the working population do not. The main highways throughout the island are good, many are dual carrigeway and they could accommodate standard-sized buses.
Today there is little or no congestion.
But cars are popular and are becoming more so. Traffic will grow but the island will not and this is a certain recipe for congestion and ultimate gridlock in the town. With the ever-increasing popularity of private cars, the local bus fraternity is not optimistic about the future demands for its services and their quality, such as it is, can only deteriorate as congestion increases. The Department and the Association have done much to overcome what was a difficult situation but the writing is on the wall. In due course, another difficult situation is inevitable, like what has already come to most urban areas worldwide.