Cigarette butts dumped in spotlights at Upper Cross Street removed: Town council

Jalan Besar Town Council has removed cigarette butts that were dumped in the spotlights at Block 531 Upper Cross Street on Tuesday (Sep 1).

Stomper Brandon alerted Stomp to the incident and sent a few photos of what he saw.

In the photos, cigarette butts can be seen dumped into the spotlight. A Cola-Cola can can also be seen thrown next to the cigarette butts.

"When will these people ever learn? It is a fire hazard," Brandon said.

"This is the first time I saw this happen. I was having a meal nearby, and I saw people smoking near the motorcycle parking area.

"Once they were done smoking, they just threw their used cigarette butts into the spotlight.

"I think they need to be educated on the dangers of doing this act. It is a spotlight and when it is switched on at night it will become hot and burn the cigarette butts.

"This may cause a fire and since it is so near to the motorcycle parking area, it really is a potential hazard."

In response to a Stomp query, a spokesman for Jalan Besar Town Council said: "The cigarette butts have been removed from the spotlights. We will also check and clean up the area regularly.  

"We hope smokers could stub out their cigarettes before throwing the butts into the rubbish bin that is placed near the staircase/spotlights.

"Everyone plays a part in keeping our environment clean. Together, we can help make it a pleasant shared space for all."

Jalan Besar Town Council also included photos which show where the dustbins are placed in that area to encourage responsible disposal of cigarette butts.