Parent voices concerns over littering at bus stop near school at old Jalan Kuching-Serian

SERIAN (Jan 10): A concerned parent has raised alarm over the growing pile of litter strewn behind a bus stop near SMK Tun Abdul Razak, located along the old Jalan Kuching-Serian.

The local resident, wishing to be known only as ‘GB’, regard such situation as ‘upsetting’ not only because of the volume of waste at the site, but it also hinted lack of maintenance by authorities overseeing the area.

The bus stop, adjacent to the entrance of the secondary school along the old Kuching-Serian Road, seemed to have become a hotspot for indiscriminate dumping, he observed.

“There’s a lack of a functional rubbish bin at the bus stop, so presumably the students using it on schooldays must have taken the easiest way – throwing away rubbish directly into the bushes behind the bus stop,” said GB, adding that his daughter is a student of the school.

GB also observed that the accumulated rubbish, largely comprising plastic drinks and noodle cups, had likely been at the site for months, if not years.

Lamenting the absence of functional rubbish bins at the bus stop, GB said the students might resort to discarding waste into the bushes, creating potential breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

GB voiced concerns about such situation potentially exposing the students to diseases like dengue or even malaria, given that the school was running morning and afternoon sessions.

He said while the responsibility for maintaining the bus stop remained unclear, he proposed a joint effort between the school management and the Serian District Council.

GB emphasised the need for proactive measures, including regular cleaning and the provision of adequate rubbish bins, as well as the importance of fostering responsible waste disposal habits among the students.

“Perhaps the management of SMK Tun Abdul Razak could be more proactive in keeping the bus stop clean and properly maintained, if not to make it look more pleasant; then at least it could prevent this facility from being a mosquito-breeding ground. They (the mosquitoes) could go after the students living inside the boarding school too.

“However, the Serian District Council should also contribute to the maintenance and preventative measures for the bus stop. Perhaps they could provide ample numbers of proper rubbish bins, not only for the bus stop but also around the place, as the area in front of the school entrance is used by hundreds of students every school day,” he added.

GB, also the school’s former student, believed that the matter was also about the mentality and general attitude of the students.

“If they’re of the ‘indiscriminate-rubbish-dumping’ type, there would always be accumulated rubbish dumps again and again, no matter how many rubbish bins are provided or how properly the place is maintained.

“They should be educated to discard their rubbish properly into the prepared bins and not indiscriminately onto the ground, especially those non-biodegradable plastics and receptacles that could trap rainwater.

“If necessary, the school and the local council could enforce regulations to punish indiscriminate rubbish disposal around school areas,” he suggested.