Taipei authorities today are to begin enforcing new littering fines for smokers who drop their cigarette butts on the ground.
Previously, offenders faced a fine of only NT$1,200, regardless of their record. As of today, a second-time offender will be subject to a triple fine of NT$3,600, with NT$5,000 levied for any offense thereafter.
The fine hikes follow controversy early last month over cigarette butt litter in residential areas in Xinren borough (新仁) near the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (松山文創園區), which bans smoking.
Warning: Smoking can damage your health.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Taipei Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Liou Ming-lone (劉銘龍) said at the time that his department was already working on new measures to target such littering.
The department said cigarette butt littering accounts for more than half the fines it levies. It issued 17,452 fines for cigarette butt littering last year, of which 526 were to given to repeat offenders, department figures show.
Liou yesterday brushed aside questions about whether he had enough staff to enforce the new fine policy, saying that department personnel could request police assistance if litterbugs refuse to cooperate.
Chiu Kuan-hou (邱寬厚), head of the department section dealing with the issue, said the department had 110 employees responsible for enforcing anti-litter regulations.
While some people deny littering when confronted, department agents often use covertly taken pictures as evidence, Chiu said, citing the example of a male litterer who was fined even after swallowing the cigarette butt he had dropped.
Enforcement agents who discover foreigners littering are to accompany them to a nearby convenience store or post office so the litterbug can pay the fine directly, Chiu said.
Department figures show that 120 foreigners were fined last year for cigarette butt litter.
The city is also working to increase the number of ashtray receptacles across the city, Chiu said.
Businesses have agreed to install ashtray receptacles in 270 of the 955 cigarette litter “hot spots” identified by city authorities, while ashtrays will be installed on all of the city’s 2,041 public trash cans by the end of this month.
The department plans to require ashtrays to be installed outside of buildings as part of building codes, Liou said.
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