Buses should have litter bins: Rwodzi

THE Government has urged all passenger service vehicles to have litter bins or else the operators will be fined.

The Government, through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), city councils and other law enforcement agencies, will immediately step up the enforcement of provisions of the relevant Acts and by-laws to ensure cleanliness.

Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi said it was not proper for anyone to operate a business, without litter bins accessible to customers.

“We will now step up efforts to ensure that all passenger public service vehicles have litter bins,” she said.

“Further, such vehicles are reminded to ensure that they have litter bins to avoid their passengers throwing litter through the windows, if this should happen those operating such a vehicle will be fined.”

She bemoaned the increase in the number of illegal dumpsites in the country saying they pose a serious threat to human health.

“Government cannot sit and watch the citizenry and institutions disregarding the law through littering,” she said.

“Given the aforementioned health risks associated with unclean environments, my Ministry, through the Environmental Management Agency and other law enforcement agencies, have stepped up law enforcement activities in the interest of public health.

“There will be rigorous and regular inspections until we rid cities, towns, growth points and, indeed rural service centres, of illegal dumpsites and other manifestations of poor waste management.

“It is the local authorities’ responsibility to collect and dump waste at designated sites in accordance with their by-laws.

“Local Authorities are, however, encouraged to go beyond the collection and dumping.

“Victoria Falls and Norton Town Council have taken the lead in this regard and EMA stands ready to assist in the design of the appropriate landfills.”