Noradida suggests MBI provide large rubbish bins for public use.
MORE large rubbish bins are needed in the popular Panglima Lane, popularly known as Concubine Lane, area of Ipoh in Perak.
Traders at the popular tourism spot have called on Ipoh City Council (MBI) to do more to ensure the area, which is part of the Ipoh heritage trail, is kept clean.
Waffle and ice-cream seller Noradida Isa, 39, said the bins were needed for visitors to discard rubbish.
“Most shops have their own bins and some visitors ask if they can throw their rubbish in those bins.
“There is a need for the city council to provide rubbish bins for tourists,” she said.
“Large capacity bins would be great as these would prevent piles of rubbish and discourage littering,” she added.
Noradida’s suggestions came in response to a recent issue involving rubbish in the area not being collected in a timely manner, which then led to others just piling on with their own refuse.
Food waste, dirty food containers, plastic bottles and bags had been dumped atop a pile of rubbish bags in front of the heritage trail signboard near Concubine Lane in Ipoh Old Town.
Noradida said this was unsightly and such an eyesore was not good for the city’s image.
Confectionery shop manager Lim Kean Fei, 30, said MBI workers usually collected rubbish in the area in the morning, and again in the afternoon.
Recalling the dumping incident, he said that rubbish had been bundled up between 9am and 10am but had only been collected at 4pm.
“Usually, the bags of rubbish are collected by the truck in the morning as well. But this time, it didn’t happen.
“When people see a rubbish pile, they also start to add their own garbage to it,” he noted.
Lim said there used to be two public rubbish bins in the area.
“Now, rubbish bins are provided only for shops,” he said.
Larrie Arul, 60, a retiree from Penang, said people should be more responsible when disposing their rubbish as it was vital to maintain cleanliness, especially in a tourist hub like Ipoh.
Lim says people tend to add their own rubbish to refuse piles.
“Always look for the nearest bin instead of carelessly throwing rubbish onto the ground.
“I have also taught my children not to litter,” he added.
Larrie expressed hope that the public would become more aware of how littering reflected poorly on a community, asking: “What impression will foreign tourists have of us if our cities are not well kept?”
A visitor from Batu Gajah, Perak, who only wanted to be known as Lee, was also conscious of the need to avoid littering.
“We are civilised and must show good ethics. Carelessly throwing rubbish also creates environmental pollution.
“Concubine Lane is quite famous and should be kept clean. If not, people will avoid coming here,” he added.
Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin had responded to the issue, saying that rubbish bins had been placed at various points along the Ipoh heritage trail.
He had also said that despite this, rubbish continued to pile up, especially on weekends and during school holidays.
“MBI carries out daily cleaning and waste collection as scheduled.
“However, resolving this issue requires public cooperation; people must avoid littering and must only dispose of their rubbish in designated bins.
“All businesses operating in the area should also provide rubbish bins to help manage waste disposal,” he added.
On a separate matter, Lim said he hoped the damaged walkway in front of his shop could be fixed.
“A tourist had once fallen down because of the damaged walkway.
“We reported the matter to the city council about nine months ago but no action has been taken.
“We have covered the damaged area with rocks as a stopgap measure and hope that it can be fixed soon,” he said.
