Tuesday, 26th August 2008
300 fines over two weeks in crackdown on littering
More than 300 fines for littering and dumping have been handed down by police officers, local wardens and Mepa inspectors in a crackdown on contraventions that started on August 12, and the successful exercise will now continue indefinitely.
The fines ranged from €11.65 to €2,562.30 for contraventions that included minor ones like throwing cigarette butts in the streets to serious breaches such as leaving building sites unsecured.
The multidisciplinary team monitored various problem areas selected by the local councils in order to catch people red-handed.
Sometimes the monitoring was carried out by plainclothes officers, especially in areas such as bring-in sites, so that offenders were intercepted rather than scared away.
But Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, who is heading the enforcement operation, insisted that no entrapment was involved and that the operation also included the issuing of warnings in order to raise awareness about the problem of littering.
"This was not about making money," he insisted.
One woman in San Ġwann was caught dumping a sofa and many others were caught without the appropriate equipment for picking up their pets' excrement.
According to Dr Said, the operation was highly successful, not because so many fines were handed out but because word of mouth spread rapidly and within a few days the number of contraventions in the monitored areas was reduced drastically.
"Enforcement works," he insisted.
An awareness campaign is now being conceived in order to educate the public about the illegality of littering and dumping - television promotion is to be expected for the winter schedule.
Dr Said said Malta boasts of various cleaning services, including a bring-in site for every 400 households, open skips, bulky refuse collection services and a number of other types of garbage collection.
What is needed now, he said, is the cooperation of the public - and a change in the mentality.
"This is not a temporary exercise... we now want to increase the momentum," Dr Said promised.
The Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs is planning to introduce around 1,200 new dustbins with ashtrays, to be placed in problem areas such as bus stops.
Another move that is being discussed is to create some sort of financial incentive to collect and return plastic bottles for recycling - similarly to what was in place previously with glass bottles.
More cameras are planned for areas such as traffic lights or traffic islands so that people throwing rubbish from their cars will be caught on tape and fined.
The law does not distinguish between biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, since all of it can be unsightly.
"We want to pass on the message that littering and dumping are serious contraventions - even things that may seem insignificant, like chewing gum," Dr Said said.
The public is encouraged to use Mepa's hotline 2069 9595 to report contraventions.
RSS
Comments
Dog excrement by the way can blindness if the eyes are touched after it is touched, therefore it is not just about hygene but safety.
I wait for the day when in Malta and Gozo people start to respect animals more so they can truly call themselves a civilised people. Maybe in six generations more they will start.
By the way: When there are no trappers around I like to let Spotty of the lead in the countryside. At times I am not sure whether he does his business incognito without me noticing. Am I liable to prosecution for this or can I pass off 'his business' as fertliser?
Also please call at the Has-Saptan and ta' L'Andar areas of Ghaxaq, or the Ta' Haxum olive grove areas to see building left overs dumped, or household wastes dumped in this fresh air, picnic area site of Ghaxaq, to the detriment of residents. Both Local Councils did there very best to have the areas clean, but unscrupolous residents do not bother about the health of the majority of us residents.
Will the enforcement officers kindly watch the contractor dumping material in a Protected zone in Tal-Wej at Mosta just behind his workshop and residence. The local Mosta Local council, the police & MEPA know about this. This has been going on for a number of years now and maybe this is the right opportune moment to get the culprit.
We'll wait and see.
@Karl Abela wrote: "Those who litter the streets do it because they have a political motive so that they can later point at the government. STOP IT!! You are ruining our country. Get civilized!" This is a highly politically-loaded and ridiculous statement. Do you mean to tell us that all street litter bugs (young and old) are Labour supporters? I don't think this applies to environmentalist Greens, and as we all know the PN has been the government of the day now many years, so you are implying that it can't be the civilized PN supporters since they would not litter and blame their own government. What trash (sorry for the pun, couldn't help it)!
One day, while out for a swim, I witnessed a group of foreigners leave the beach littered with their water bottles and beer cans. I have to say that at least one Maltese gentleman had the fortitude to go over and clean up their mess and put it in the nearby bin. These people have to be shown that their carelessness and disregard for nature will not be tolerated. Come on Malta, stand up and take pride in your beautiful country!
With regards to the amounts of garbage, and that includes recyclables; might I suggest the following. In Canada, we have a blue box program which separates cans, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes from the actual garbage which is in the bag. You would still put it out beside the garbage, but another truck (only for recyclables) would come along and collect all the recyclables. In Ontario, we have had this program for at least 20 years or so and has worked fine. It would be a good step for Malta and it would better the environment in the process.
Another suggestion would be for plainclothes officers to be an "Unmarked Police Cruiser," so that repeat offenders would be caught and fined on the spot.
@M.Saliba
The fact that the government has nabbed 300+ fines is a good start. This program needs to be addressed and needs to continue on a permanent basis. Don't tell me that you could have collected the 300+ fines in one spot. These officers should be commended on catching those who continue to ruin Malta with all the garbage littering streets and towns alike.
also community cleaning works should be done by the culprits! L-ezempju jkaxxkar!
Once I was behind a black Kia Sportage of an MP in Valletta ( I recognize that from the
no.plate) I was shocked that after he stopped in the middle of the street to buy from a veggy
shop after 2 minutes some him throwing the peel of a bannana out of his car and after also a
piece of wrapper of a snack!
Good idea to put cameras on the roads to catch people littering from their cars. I also
suggest an sms no. where if you take a photo by mobile phone of someone littering or
dumping could be sended to.This will make people think twice before littering!
Keep up the good job!
it is a shame, the beaches are so dirty. better watch out, or something drastic might come in place like bar b ques will be illegal on the beaches. and then no onw would be able to go and leave his burnt out charcoal, qxur tal bettieh, etc etc on the sand for the poeple to find it there the next day!
as for bins on the beaches, they are hideous, andthey should be placed, on the pavements before you get on the send, less flies, bees, wasps and stench. take a plastic bag, and put your rubbish in it, and then take it home. it is so simple
but some people are just plain dirty, and lazy and are not proud of beautiful Malta
also all trucks carrying loads, of for example, building materials, like zrar, xahx etc should be covered appropriatley otherwise they are not allowed on the roads...
people who complain about fines, change your behaviour. comply with the laws and you will not get fined!
As for putting out the litter at the wrong times:
Our garbage truck passes by at 06:30 in the morning - sometimes one would wish one could sleep at bit longer. Other trucks come at a time when a lot of people are at work. Why not simply introducing additional skips as seen in San Gwann?
@ Vanessa Azzopardi, who doesn't know what to do with her cigarette buts: Have you ever heard of pocket ashtrays? Size-wise they are like little pill boxes, very handy and fit in every pocket. Even an ordinary small jar with a screw lid will do the trick.
Oh yes, and just in case somebody is really reading throughout the whole blog and taking notes of filthy places: please pass by St. John Street in Naxxar. There are enough cigarette buts on the floor for the next 500 fines.
Lets us now hope that on this occasion the enforcement is consistent and not the usual flash in the pan.....
One main problem is that in Malta, we do not have any national pride, we do not have a proper national day really, parents feel happy to give their children a red or blue flag, an Italian or British flag but not a Maltese one. Journalists spend more time talking about Mintoff and Borg Olivier than issues like this, go figure. I am going to propose a good clean up of my town, take it up with our mayor, do my bit, watch this space.
A different enforcement operation, this time on indoor smoking did not have the desired success as smoking is rampant in prohibited areas.
Visit us however much you like, but you have left the country, remember that! It is OUR beautiful gem island!
I know of people who have had to give up using their spring water because it was killing the plants.
FAA/environmentalists how about some pressure?
Educatating through media is a bonus, but you also need to follow through with
the enforcment. There should be restrictions as when to take out your rubbish.
I live in Toronto and each community has clean up day twice a year organized by local
residents. Also as one had mentioned before you need bigger bins and more bins
in some area where it high tourist attractions ie Sliema, and one should wash out bins
when it gets really dirty and smelly.
I will be visiting Malta this September and I a looking forward to the this positive change
to out Beautiful Gem Island Of Malta.
Catherine Bonnici.
Also 300 fines in two weeks from the whole of Malta is pathetic. The authorities should have come down like a ton of bricks on everyone. People only learn and spread the word when it hits their pockets. I could have coolected the 300 fines myself from just one spot.
At last something seems to have started being done. It's an excellent way to make money for the govt's coffers - and maybe reduce the electricity surcharge or keep the money in a special fund to pay for other environmental projects?
While they're at it, why not start a similar scheme for exhaust emissions (if vehicles smoke, there must be something wrong and an on-the-spot fine is warranted).
What about noise-polluters too?
Loud stereos in cars; vehicles honking fog-horns; cars with doctored exhausts that make them sound like supersonic planes, etc!
Just think of all that extra money; less air and noise pollution eventually; and a more civil society (one would hope!).
It'll all pay for recruitment of more wardens with specific duties to clamp down on such abuses and also increase employment. A Government's dream!
The main thing is to stick with it and not let the scheme peter out, like most schemes in Malta which all seem to end up dying an unnatural death with everything going back to former poor standards - e.g. smoking in public!
On the front we can see empty bottles and discarded pizza and takeaway containers all around the benchesespecially on week ends. Visitors to Marsaskala should learn to respect the locals and keep Marsaskala clean.
Even local residents are to blame; Triq l-Skal is littered with rubbish bags left out from as early as 6pm for collection next morning.
Irresponsible youths, late evenings, make a mess on the church parvis, even using it as a latrine. Evidence of drug abuse were sometimes very evident.
It seems that some poeple do not have doors ; the corner of Triq Qrempuc c/w Triq Gebel Hanxul is being used as a rubbish bag collection point by the residents of the cul-de-sac.
Besides being unsightly, when the truck comes late in the day, other people can smell other peoples rubbish. NIMBY, or rather 'not on my front door'.
I hope that this not another flash in the pan!!
People will not learn unless fines are imposed.
Rather than just dishing out fines we need to provide an alternative to walking around with a handful of rubbish. We also need to ensure that public areas are properly swept and cleaned often and regularly.
I suggest we consider employing the many able-bodied illegal immigrants (in exchange for their accommodation, food and drink and maybe a small fee) to sweep, clean and in general keep Malta and Gozo tidy. This would give them something positive to do rather than just sit around in the sun and enjoy their all-expenses-paid holiday in Malta.
These immigrants should also be employed in a like fashion to help with the upkeep of public buildings (the shutters, windows and doors of which need a fresh coat of paint) and the upkeep and continued cleanliness of public toilets.
Another point; what about the large amounts of smelly excriment left by horses all round Valletta? - Are the horses' owners being fined for littering too?
When once i pointed this out to one female household owner ,her answer was that as long as it's outside her home ,it really does not concern her!!!
Today even her married daughter who lives at a nearby street, is just doing the same.
As the saying goes ... your child's education begins at home.
Reders who makes this kind of act, please take note.
According to Dr Said the operation was highly successful and within a few days the number of contraventions in the monitored areas dropped drastically. That is fantastic news but I wonder how long it will take us to be back to square one.
Let's have a permanent enforcement Division as Dr. Said promised. I'm afraid, once people become more disciplined and consequently pay less fines, this initiative will die a natural death. We had these operations many times before but they only lasted a few weeks. One problem is that when an election is approaching, and we have them, at least, once a year, the authorities tend to relax and become less strict fearing that votes will be lost in the process. I consider this to be short sightedness since many more votes could be lost if the islands are filthy. The vast majority of us are simply fed up of seeing rubbish everywhere!
OFTEN STAID AND SERIOUS CITIZENS SEEMS TO FORGET THEIR CIVIC DUTIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE NEEDS OF THEIR DOGS.
If wardens had to follow dog walkers in detective Closeau style I am certain that they would fulfill their fine ticket quota and give some respite to frivolous fines on car owners.
Its a complete mess down there!
So for this event to be meaningful it has to be sustained all the year round in a disciplined manner. We who take care not to litter are frustrated that the minority are make our Islands one big rubbish dump with total disregard to the law and rendering an appalling image of our Nation!
Suggest that the receipt bins near the ATM will be emptied frequently; likewise the bins along the promenades have to be emptied at least twice daily, especially in the summer months.
It's about time! Great. Lets hope this really is a permanent affair with even heavier fines for the minor offenses so that the message really gets through. I have been saying for ages that only proper fines will solve the issue and teach the public. The idea of community service is also a good idea that might be applied to repeat offenders that don't seem to get the message.
Cameras will definitely catch untold numbers of people throwing garbage out of their windows, so go on and cover malta with cameras as it will well be worth the effort. Though collecting money should not a reason for the enforcement, it's obvious that the money collected can be put towards enhancing the enforcement further.
Malta is a gem of an island and this will bring out its true beauty......................just wait and see what a difference it will also make in tourist arrivals l, which will then fill alot of these offenders bank accounts with more money anyway! People go on holiday to have fun and see beautiful places. Nowhere can be called beautiful if it is filthy.
Lets all finally be able to appreciate the true beauty of our country.
what malta needs also is wardens that monitor beaches for illegal barbecues (ie without a bbq set) made on the rocks or sand and leave a mess behind and also damage the rocks where the fire was
Whilst we are at it, it would be worth enforcing the law on covering trucks carrying loose material - the current dish cloth used by many truck drivers is just a joke. Rubbish trucks should also be fined for moving without having first compressed their rubbish and thus have rubbish spilling out of the back of the truck.
Additionally, whoever is contracted to clear the general rubbis skips as well as the glass, plastic, tin and paper sorting bins should be instructed to clear up the surrounding area of the bins when emptying them and not leave the bins sitting in an area of rubbish spilt from the bins.
Every little bit helps but it only takes one or two who do not care or are to lazy to spoil the efforts of everyone else.
Tue 16th I phoned this number reporting someone sanding down the walls (invjar) on a construction site at least 3 times. I dared the person taking my report that no action will be taken and so it was. Nothing happened this work carried on wed and thurs till it was ready with the result of all our street, balconies, cars covered with a carpet of dust a cm high. By the way which we had to clean like we had been doing since works started. Besides we had to stay with our windows shut for 3 days. Mind you my area is a touristic area, but this is not important tourist like seeing this big cloud of dust!!
"Enforcement works"!!! This is only a PR excersie, a joke.
Rabat resident.
As I have noted before, one area which is crying out for this sort of exercise is the Tal-Qroqq/University Street area of Msida - a few fines would work wonders!
My personal judgement is that there are not enough bins in public areas and beaches.
In my eyes this is a challenge and an apportunity, for Government and the general public alike, to jointly make Malta a better place.
Let us all commit to this common goal.
Let's introduce another spin on this, how about community service as a fine? 4 hours of scraping gum off the bottom of park benches should stop them from littering again. Time and humiliation is a far better punishment then a financial burden.
I suggest that more waste bins with ashtrays be placed in busy areas. Many times, ashtrays are not found anywhere and one has to extinguish his cig and then dump it which can cause fire.
Cleaner Malta will be the pride of all of us.
P.S. why not send a plain clothes warden near the Rabat (Malta) primary school... rubbish is pilled up in corners both in front of the school and also behind (triq San patrizju)... less than 500 meters away from the catacombs.