Ministry to clamp down on dumping

The Infrastructure and Resources Ministry is set on an enforcement drive.

A ministry spokesman said that thousands of liri spent over the last few years on educational campaigns against illegal dumping were not having the desired effect, and the ministry was stressing the importance for existing legislation to penalise offenders to start being enforced.

The spokesman told The Times that although Maltese legislation envisaged fines as well as the confiscation of the vehicle used and the withholding of a person's driving licence for a period of time, this was not being enforced.

He said other European Union countries had similar legislation, and the ministry was working to ensure that the legislation was enforced, hoping this would lead to fewer people dumping in or littering public places.

The spokesman told The Times it was imperative to curb illegal dumping because this was causing a problem in the country.

The spokesman said the ministry received phone calls informing it of objects dumped in the middle of roads, such as house furniture and white goods. He said members of the Public Cleansing Department in the ministry are sent to the sites to clean up the areas on a daily basis due to the "irresponsibility" of some people.

He said that apart from the rubbish removal costing money, this also meant that these workers were not doing other important jobs.

A freephone number, 8007 2239, has been set up for people to contact the department if they noticed any illegally dumped material or bulky waste, accumulated kerb-side waste, accumulated waste in roads, damage in public conveniences, carcasses on main roads and any waste in public areas.

The spokesman said the ministry handled dozens of such reports every week, in all parts of Malta.