Roadside trash anger

By Nefertiti Matatia 15 January 2018, 12:00AM

Contractors hired by government to mow the grass on the shoulder of public roads should also pick up the trash.

Far too many of them mow the grass and then move on, leaving trash, plastic bags, plates, bottles and foam cups strewn all over the place.

In some cases, these end up on the road.

The concern was expressed by a resident of Faleula village, who only wants to be identified as, Myana.

She said many workers just pile up the grass, including plastic bags along the road without even clearing them. 

“It’s ugly when they finish and they just leave it there,” she said.

“What’s so hard about picking up the rubbish and taking it away with them?”

She said such actions have a detrimental impact on the environment and Samoa’s tourism industry. 

She adds her children end up cleaning up the rubbish left behind.

“We usually clean up every time when the boys are done with mowing the lawn,” she said. 

“Ever since we have the boys who are under contract coming here to mow the lawn, they have never cleaned up when they are done, they just move along.

“So they usually just stop in front, alongside of the road and since they are mowing just the front of the road while we clean it up might as well let them come mow our whole compound while they are at it.”

She is thankful for their service, especially when some of the workers are young boys who just completed school, and are looking for jobs.

She mentioned some families refuse to clean up after the lawn mowers are done; they wait for them to return to clean it up.

She adds no truck is provided to collect the rubbish after the boys are done.

It was not possible to get a comment from the government yesterday.

A lawn mower at Faleula said they had a truck that collects rubbish after they are done.

He adds they spend only one week in a certain village to mow the lawn before moving on to the next.

“I have been doing this for more than a year now and it is all part of keeping Samoa clean,” he said.

“We go to many villages and we do the best we can.”

By Nefertiti Matatia 15 January 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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