DUST-BINS IN PUBLIC PLACES (Increased provision)

Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Health whether he will consider increasing the number of dust-bins provided in public places and placing them at closer intervals as a means to reduce indiscriminate throwing of litter.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, the indiscriminate throwing of refuse and littering are usually the result of a lack of civic pride or a sense of civic consciousness. However, it has been realised that an insufficiency of suitable refuse bins or containers may be a contributory factor to such indiscriminate littering. Accordingly, in 1967 the Public Health Division took steps to design and to provide a large number of proper litter bins so as to reduce the tendency among the public to throw refuse about indiscriminately. Due to the large numbers of such litter bins that must be bought and fixed, the provision of such litter bins is being done in phases.

It was decided to give priority to the fixing of litter bins at bus stops. The fixing of such litter bins to all the bus stops in the city area has been completed, and similarly all bus stops in the main thoroughfares in the rural areas have also been provided with such litter bins.

At the moment, the next phase of the operation is under way, in which litter bins are being fixed at road junctions and along busy streets especially in the shopping areas and near and around cinemas and picture halls. To date, a total of 1,660 litter bins have been installed in such places.

Being aware that a lot of littering is taking place in areas where hawkers congregate, hawkers are now required to provide refuse bins; collection bins for such refuse exist at all authorised hawker congregations. In the city area, 63 congested hawker sites have been so provided and 300 refuse bins are now in use.

This year, the Public Health Division has placed orders for another 2,000 litter bins which will be fixed at closer intervals along all busy streets and shopping areas. But it is to be appreciated that while the Government can provide refuse bins and litter bins, the provision of such facilities alone would not prevent littering if the public were not to make use of them, in order that Singapore can be the cleanest city in South-east Asia, such indiscriminate throwing of litter should he actively discouraged, and more effective use would have to be made of the litter bins that have been provided by the Public Health Division.