KUANTAN: Used styrofoam food containers, plastic cups, empty mineral bottles, plastic bags, and even a pair of old shoes are strewn along the side of Jalan Sultan Abdullah here.
The rubbish was left there over the past three months by motorists who had stopped by the roadside to have their meals, even though there are two trash bins a few metres away at a petrol station.
Azman Abd Azim, 48, who works at Wisma Celcom nearby, said it was a neverending task to keep the area outside the building’s main entrance clear of litter.
“The side of the road is shaded, attracting people to park there, eat, and then discard the food and drink containers there,” he said.
“Stray dogs come here at night to seek food (from the trash) and are a danger to bystanders.”
He added that the leftover food in the containers also attracted monkeys, which left scratches on vehicles parked nearby.
“The discarded containers can also become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.”
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A Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) representative said the company would look into the matter.
He noted that it was hard for people to change their bad habits and how they disposed of trash.
“Through (SWCorp’s) public awareness unit, we carry out campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue,” he said.
He later clarified that the affected area was under the jurisdiction of the state Public Works Department (PWD) and that SWCorp had informed PWD about the matter.
He said PWD’s contractor would clear the rubbish.