Abandoned vehicles left by the roadside along Jalan Mashyur 25/50 are an eyesore. Broken car windows result in rainwater pooling in the car interiors which make them perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
SOMETHING needs to be done about the increasing number of abandoned vehicles in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam in Selangor.
Residents are irked by the number of abandoned cars in their neighbourhood and they think it is one of the contributors to the spike in dengue cases there.
Taman Sri Muda Residents Association (TSMRA) committee member Alan Lim said he noticed that more derelict cars were being left by the roadside after the major flood that hit the area in December last year.
“Some of the car windows were broken into, resulting in rainwater pooling in them.
“This is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“The situation is worse along Jalan Tekun 25/43 where several cars are just left by the roadside.
“We hope the city council will carry out fogging regularly to keep dengue at bay,” he said.
During a visit, StarMetro saw more than 10 abandoned vehicles along Jalan Tekun 25/43.
Stickers of scrap metal dealers’ contact numbers were pasted on some of the cars.
One car in particular had a yellow warning notice from Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) in January, which was pasted on the windscreen asking the owner to remove it from the street or risk having it towed away.
Several vehicles’ road tax had expired in 2020.
Meanwhile, piles of rubbish, used tyres and flower pots with stagnant water were seen along road reserves.
TSMRA chairman Mogan Thangabelu said 13 dengue cases were reported in Section 25 nearby Jalan Tekun 25/43.
“This is on top of 146 dengue cases that were reported in Taman Sri Muda this year.
“We want MBSA to remove all these abandoned cars, carry out fogging regularly and clear away the rubbish until dengue cases have gone down,” he said.
Mogan, who also heads the Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) programme in Taman Sri Muda, said the lack of hygiene and dengue awareness among the residents had contributed to the spike in dengue cases.
“This problem is obvious in all four Taman Sri Muda zones as people still do not tie up the bags and they indiscriminately dispose of rubbish.
“We hope the city council penalises those who put public health and safety at risk,” he said.
MBSA Corporate and Public Relations Division head Shahrin Ahmad said warning notices were pasted on abandoned vehicles under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 to alert owners to remove their vehicles.
“At the same time, we also have to check with the police if the vehicles have been blacklisted.
“If the vehicles are not blacklisted, then they will be towed away.
“From January to April, MBSA towed away 13 vehicles in Section 25 alone.
“We urge vehicle owners not to leave old or damaged vehicles by the roadside for a long period of time as it is an eyesore and can potentially become a mosquito breeding ground,” he added.
