Dubai
The authorities in Dubai have been kind enough to provide the residents with world class facilities, such as the airconditioned bus stops provided by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for the convenience and comfort of passengers. Off late, people tend to misuse this facility and are littering inside the bus stops, which clearly demonstrates the lack of responsibility of the users.
I have seen this behaviour in many bus tops, especially the one located near a popular mall in the Oud Metha area. Prateek Aswani, my 15-year-old son, was also with me when I came across litter at this bus stop (as seen in photograph).
He was disgusted by people’s behaviour and said: “People are so insensitive towards the facilities provided by the authorities for our comfort.”
He suggested that as a punitive measure, authorities should not be lenient and instead should find out who the culprits are and punish them by making them clean that particular bus stop, which will make them realise their mistake and they won’t repeat such actions in the future.
Kush Aswani, my 13-year-old son, also said that “the people who are responsible for these nasty actions should be penalised to set an example for others”.
Dr Rahul Tugnait, a resident of Dubai for the past two years, has noticed similar issues at various bus stops in Dubai. He said: “The authorities in Dubai are providing us with airconditioned bus stops, which are quite rare to find in many other countries around the world and people with the lack of civic manners exploit these privileges and litter inside the bus stops, even though there are garbage bins placed outside each bus stop.”
Kapil Kapoor, who has been living in Dubai for the past 18 years, has seen the tremendous progress of the nation and he believes that Dubai is amongst the best cities in the world to live in. He commends the authorities for putting in extra-ordinary effort to provide the best public facilities, utilities and public transport, as compared to other parts of the world.
He said: “All users of public transport should keep the facilities clean and ensure that no other user litters the place either. We all need to maintain the image of Dubai as one of the best cities in the world and contribute towards keeping it the same way.”
Even though many reports have been published on the subject of littering, the issue will not go away until people change their mindset. We need to understand the effects of littering on the environment and those around us and change our habits. Instead of throwing an empty packet of chips on the floor inside the bus stop, throw it in the dustbin placed outside the stop. It isn’t very difficult for people to do so, they just seem to be lazy. Change your attitude and change the world.
— The reader is a sales and marketing professional based in Dubai.
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FACTBOX:
According to a Gulf News report published on March 24, 2016, littering or dumping waste in an area will result in the municipality inspectors imposing a fine of Dh500. This also applies to public parks and even busy commercial areas around the UAE.
Additionally, eating, drinking and smoking inside RTA’s air-conditioned bus shelters is an offence that attracts a Dh100 fine when caught.
