Monday June 18, 2012
Local councils need to improve services
LOCAL Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung has said that much of the services provided by local councils is not up to the mark.
As a regular and faithful rate payer to the local council for a few decades now, I could not agree more with what the minister has said.
The reminder to the local councils to buck up and provide better services to the people is timely and laudable.
When it comes to providing services to the people, it is not just a matter of ensuring the removal of household garbage, garden refuse and clearing clogged drains according to schedule.
The problem is, other equally essential services that people need in order to have a safe and healthy environment are sadly often neglected by the local councils. Here are a few examples:
> Many roads in towns and cities have no proper signage for the convenience of people who are not familiar with the area.
> Shophouses have no unit number displayed above the main entrance. This is a real problem when you try to locate a shophouse based on the postal address.
> Big puddles of stagnant water can be seen on the sides of busy roads for many days because there is no way for the water to be chanelled out, thus causing much inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.
> Bus-stop shelters are erected at the wrong place.
> Not replying to letters sent to the councils by residents, despite repeated letters.
> Not monitoring work done by contractors who did a shoddy job and got away with it. For example, roads that had been dug up and retarred, but the result is uneven road surface.
> Not ensuring that road signboards are not blocked by overgrown plants and tree branches.
> Damaged public roads in residential areas are not resurfaced even after long periods, and often patched up unevenly.
> Not responding to complaints regarding inconsiderate residents who keep their premises dirty and unsightly, with some raising chicken in their compounds.
SRN,
Petaling Jaya.
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