Stymied at every turn: Alam Flora cleaners have to get out of the lorry and drag a huge pipe to clean the lane which is being blocked by a food stall in between Jalan Nyonya and Lorong Baba in Pudu. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star
IN MOST developed cities, garbage trucks are allowed to park in areas off limits to other motorists.
This means, the lorries can pull up at designated areas in the city to get the job done.
In the US state of California for instance, the bin lorries are allowed to move, stop and park at bicycles lanes, parking spaces, operate in loading and unloading zones as well as in zones that are restricted to traffic.
In some areas, they are allowed to stop at road kerbs to collect rubbish.
However, in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre namely Bukit Bintang, rubbish lorries are nothing more than waste haulers.
Manoeuvring through obstructions especially in congested urban areas is the single most challenging task for Alam Flora workers.
“Obstructions in back lanes and side lanes eat into our operation time,” said an Alam Flora driver who asked to be identified only as Lokman.
“It is exhausting having to manoeuvre and navigate through cramped and narrow lanes.
“Take the Golden Triangle area for example, where the streets are narrow and our lorries are big.
“We have to contend with narrow alleys, double-parked vehicles, illegal extensions and roadside stalls that have no business being there in the first place,” he said.
This side lane in Bukit Bintang, previously wide, has been reduced to a narrow lane due to many illegal extensions.
Lokman described the job as highly stressful because drivers had to manoeuvre their vehicles with caution to avoid hitting anyone or anything, including cars.
“These narrow lanes aren’t in good shape to begin with, but the job becomes tougher with obstructions in our way,” he said.
He recounted a time when he had to carefully manoeuvre the lorry to prevent hitting gas cyclinders on a back lane.
“There is no doubt that rubbish collectors are facing a lot of issues, and it is getting more challenging over time,” said Alam Flora Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zain Hassan.
“These obstructions are not confined to lanes and alleys but even inside drains that have polypipes and fibre optic cables.
“Permanent structures are also built over drains, making it harder to clean them.”
The waste management company is tasked with cleaning public areas, which include roads, toilets and drains, once a month.
Alam Flora workers also have to deal with hawker stalls operating along alleys where dishes are washed and food waste is thrown into the drains.
“All that food debris of fat, oil and grease is clogging drains in Kuala Lumpur, and preventing water from flowing,” said Mohd Zain.
Mohd Zain (left) observing an Alam Flora worker having to manoeuvre his way around to clean the drains in Pudu.
Working in silos
In Kuala Lumpur, waste management is a complex issue involving multiple agencies and different departments in Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
For instance, waste management involving People’s Housing Project (PPR) comes under the jurisdiction of the Community Development and Urban Well-being Department and their respective Joint Management Bodies (JMB), while anything located on public roads or land falls under the Health and Environment Department.
However, when it comes to regulating waste in Kuala Lumpur, the agency involved is the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp).
SWCorp is an agency under the Local Government Development Ministry.
Alam Flora is hired by SWCorp to clean commercial areas in the city such as Bukit Bintang.
Bukit Bintang business owners want answers from DBKL on the presence of roadside stalls operating in back lanes.
“DBKL’s Licensing and Business Development Department is involved in issuing licences to traders, while its Building Control Department is responsible for illegal extension and structures?” asked businessman Marcus Lim who operates a cafe in the area.
“So are they not talking to each other?”
Lim asked how could the building department allow stalls to operate in back lanes and put up illegal extensions.
“And why does the licensing department issue licences for traders to operate in back lanes? Not only are they an obstruction, they are in violation of health by-laws and cause hygiene and environmental issues.
“Where is the Health Department in all of this? Why are they keeping silent?” he questioned.
Some business owners have voiced their concern over safety issues involving gas tanks and stoves, which are a fire hazard.
“How come the Fire and Rescue Department has no say about such obstructions and the possibility of accidents happening?” Florence Kim queried.
“Will this affect the fire department and ambulance from doing their job effectively? These are questions that need to be addressed and DBKL is not addressing them,” added Kim, who works nearby.
Local Agenda 21 (LA21) secretariat and coordinator A. Ghani Mohamed said the various departments involved in the handling of waste management needed to be streamlined.
“The way things work in Kuala Lumpur now is that Alam Flora has to lodge a report with SWCorp which then sends a report to DBKL.
“It is time consuming and one of the reasons why these issues don’t get resolved,” he pointed out.
Leong: The back lanes in Bukit Bintang have improved over the years but there are many other lanes in need of cleaning.
Improvement in back lanes
Bukit Bintang Central Environment Committee (BBCEC) chairman Simon Leong said things had improved in Bukit Bintang’s back lanes compared to a few years ago.
“But it could be better. Areas like Jalan Beranang and Jalan Alor where the mural projects have been implemented are looking better, but there are other areas that need to be addressed,’’ he said.
A Canadian expatriate, who wanted to be identified only as Jen Ray, said Kuala Lumpur was pretty and modern on paper but some of its back lanes were filthy.
“It is certainly not a walkable city as touted in brochures.
“The alleys are the worst, with the stalls. The filthy drains are unbearable,” she said.
Ummi Kalthum: Traders operating at back and side lanes should clear out for a day for cleaning works but they are refusing to do so.
SWCorp Federal Territories director Ummi Kalthum Shuib said there were many forms of obstructions in the city centre in clear violation of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
“SWCorp has suggested during its meetings with DBKL that traders operating at the back and side lanes clear out for the waste company to do a thorough cleaning on days designated for cleaning.
“Ideally, it is best if the hawkers are not there, but they are not happy and are refusing to move,” she added.
