Motorists caught littering will be fined

THOSE who litter on the island’s highways will soon feel the full brunt of the law.

According to Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Lashley, the driver of the vehicle responsible for littering will have to pay a fine of $200 or be imprisoned for a term of three months or both. This new law will apply to both the person caught littering or the driver.

“This of course is to address and penalise incidents of littering on the roads of Barbados. This is a serious matter because not only are we speaking simply to littering on the highway.

“But of course, by littering, you cause other road users or even cause the driver of the vehicle behind you to be distracted and that can also result in danger, not only to you but also result in danger to the driver [behind],” Lashley said.

Addressing Parliament yesterday, the Minister said a provision to deal with littering on the highway will be included in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to ensure that there is law to deal with persons who engage in the dangerous act of throwing garbage out of vehicles.

“This is a problem. I know that only recently there was an issue in relation to coconuts being left on the highway and that creates a danger too.

“But they have a living; they have families to support and we cannot deprive them of that. But what we will say to them is that there are laws of Barbados to be complied with, and not only are you creating hazard to other road users, but also you are creating a health hazard,” he said, adding to the fact that there are specific areas that can be designated for highway vending.

Lashley said while it is the responsibility of every Barbadian to ensure that the island’s roads are kept clean, he said the issue is how Government is going to police the matter since all highways are not monitored by cameras as is the case in other jurisdictions.

The Minister also spoke against the trend of vehicles being abandoned on the roads. (AH)