Time to hold municipal workers responsible

I REFER to “We need a new mindset” ( The Star, April 3).

Indeed a new approach to inculcate and imbibe a strong maintenance culture is long overdue.

A municipality has its rules, regulations and laws. If you run afoul of any of them, you can be summoned.

Your misdeeds may include littering, vandalism, illegal parking, breeding mosquitoes at home, unauthorised extensions to a premises, late payment of assessments and utility bills and many others.

You may be slapped with a fine, a compound, a penalty or even brought to court. These measures are important and essential to maintain law and order so that we can all live in a clean, harmonious and peaceful environment.

There are two sides to a coin, though. An interesting question is: What if the municipality itself runs afoul of its responsibilities and commitments? Where do normal residents find their recourse then?

In spite of the many complaints, residents continue to be burdened and troubled with inconveniences as a result of the lackadaisical and lax work attitudes of many of the municipal workers and their supervisors.

Numerous instances have been cited that include clogged drains, cut grass not swept, pot holes, failed street lights, uncollected rubbish, poorly resurfaced roads, badly synchronised traffic lights, dirty public toilets, badly maintained children’s playgrounds and others.

Residents suffer and some take the trouble to complain and to write in.

However, it is the norm that these complaints are not promptly looked into.

But, surely for each complaint, the municipality can pinpoint a worker, supervisor, unit, team, contractor or someone specific who is responsible.

Why then is the culprit not be slapped with a “summon”? Why can’t this guilty one(s) be also made to settle his/her/their summonses with a fine, compound or a penalty, just like the other guilty residents.

Maintenance is as much the responsibility of the public as the public officials in charge.

Public facilities are sometimes abused partly because these have not been properly maintained or well kept by those responsible.

We have made those who ignore and run afoul of municipal rules, regulations and laws pay for their misdeeds. It is time we also hold those responsible for maintenance accountable for their negligence and laxness in their work. This is one way to bring about a maintenance mindset that is lacking in our society.

We have talked and talked and being accommodating long enough already. It is time to act on those responsible for maintaining and up keeping works.