More people caught littering in Singapore last year, over 20,000 tickets issued: NEA report
SINGAPORE — More people were caught littering in Singapore last year, with more than 20,000 tickets issued, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an annual report released on Monday (Oct 9).
Offenders carrying out a corrective work order session in Singapore.
SINGAPORE — More people were caught littering in Singapore last year, with more than 20,000 tickets issued, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an annual report released on Monday (Oct 9).
This is an increase from the roughly 14,000 tickets issued in 2021. In 2020, about 17,400 tickets were issued for littering.
NEA said it has stepped up enforcement at littering hotspots, such as People's Park Complex and Tekka Centre. It used remote surveillance cameras in these areas from April in addition to enforcement officers.
The report outlines the agency's corporate information, sustainability efforts and public outreach initiatives.
It showed that the number of enforcement actions taken against high-rise littering hit a three-year low last year, with about 1,100 enforcement actions. That figure is down from about 1,500 in 2021 and about 2,000 in 2020. Enforcement actions entail fines issued by a court, Corrective Work Orders (CWOs), or both.
"Littering from residential flats is a serious offence, as it poses a danger to the public, dirties the environment and threatens our public hygiene," said the agency.
From 2020 to 2022, NEA investigated an average of 31,200 high-rise littering reports annually. Over the same period, it deployed an average of 2,600 cameras each year.
Earlier this year, the authorities strengthened legislation against high-rise littering. Since July 1, when an act of littering from a flat is proven, registered owners or tenants of the unit are presumed to have committed the acts.
The presumption can be rebutted by the owner or tenant within 14 days, by proving that he or she was not present in the flat at the time of the offence, by proving they could not have been the offender, or by providing the identity of a person "reasonably believed to be the offender".
Those who litter may face a composition fine of S$300 for a first offence, while high-rise littering offenders are sent to court.
Offenders convicted in court may be issued a fine and sentenced to perform CWO. About 2,200 CWOs were issued from 2020 to 2022. CWO requires recalcitrant offenders to clean public areas for a minimum of three hours, up to a maximum of 12 hours.
To further drive home the impact of littering, NEA introduced CWO sessions at city areas in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar in November 2022, and in the vicinity of Farrer Park from July 2023.
UPDATE ON TRAY RETURN SCHEME
As of Aug 28, NEA has issued close to 900 warnings and a fine for table littering, which includes not returning used trays and crockery or leaving litter on the table at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts. Since June 1, diners who do not return their used trays and crockery are issued a written warning for a first-time offence, with repeat offenders issued fines or charged in court. "The large majority of diners at hawker centres do return their used trays and crockery," said NEA. The mandatory tray and crockery return regime was introduced at hawker centres in September 2021. The average return rate has increased from 65 per cent in August 2021 to around 92 per cent currently, said the agency. "NEA will continue with its educational and enforcement efforts to encourage members of the public to exercise social graciousness and take personal ownership in keeping our community dining spaces clean and hygienic," it said.ENHANCEMENTS TO CLEANING INDUSTRY
The licensing scheme for the cleaning industry will be enhanced from Jan 1 next year as part of efforts to "drive capabilities and raise public health standards" of cleaning businesses. The revised framework will differentiate cleaning businesses through tiered requirements into three classes of licences with a two-year validity. To attain a Class 1 licence, cleaning businesses will have to ensure that cleaners are trained in additional competencies and the business must have a good track record. They must also be equipped with more resources to "provide greater assurance of their ability to undertake larger cleaning contracts". As of June 30, there are 1,460 licensed cleaning businesses and 54,400 cleaners, of whom 39,800 are resident cleaners. "To complement upcoming changes to the cleaning business licensing scheme, NEA is continuing to reach out to cleaning businesses to share relevant initiatives and programmes under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map that will enable the cleaning sector to grow competencies and develop a skilled and resilient workforce," said the agency. NEA has also conducted public cleanliness conversations with citizens as part of the Forward Singapore exercise. The dialogue sessions involved representatives from cleaning companies, volunteers, students and members of the public. They spoke about the challenges faced by the cleaning industry, digitalisation, the use of automation to attract and retain talent, and how the public can play a part in maintaining a clean environment. "There was also consensus that Singapore could not depend on cleaners and cleaning technology alone to upkeep our public cleanliness, and audience members committed to doing more on a personal basis," said NEA.DENGUE EFFORTS
More than 7,000 dengue cases have been reported in 2023 so far, with weekly cases remaining above 100 since the start of the year. Certain weeks during the traditional peak dengue season of June to October have seen more than 200 cases. Last month, NEA warned that Singapore was at risk of a surge in dengue cases, and urged people to take immediate action to prevent mosquito breeding. As of Sept 25, there were 69 active dengue clusters, of which nine clusters have 10 or more dengue cases. There has also been an increase in dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) cases since June, replacing the previously dominant DENV-3 serotype. In July, the monthly proportion of DENV-1 cases was about 55 per cent, while the proportion of DENV-3 cases was 17 per cent. With the increase in the proportion of DENV-1, which was prevalent almost a decade ago, coupled with the high Aedes aegypti mosquito population, Singapore may see "sustained high level of dengue transmission" towards the end of the year, said NEA. As of mid-September, NEA has conducted 591,000 mosquito inspections islandwide and uncovered 13,700 mosquito breeding habitats. In dengue cluster areas, 68 per cent of Aedes mosquito breeding detected were in homes, 29 per cent in public areas, 1 per cent at construction sites, and 2 per cent at other types of premises. As of Sept 20, about 5,200 enforcement actions were taken against owners of premises for mosquito breeding. About 334 fines and 73 stop work orders were issued to construction sites, and 54 contractors were charged in court for repeat offences. Households with repeat mosquito breeding offences and multiple mosquito breeding habitats may be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$5,000, or both, for a first court conviction. Repeat offenders face heftier penalties. "Warmer weather in the coming months from the El Nino phenomenon may also exacerbate the situation. Hence, continued vigilance remains critical and NEA urges individuals and collective community actions to prevent mosquito breeding and reduce the Aedes aegypti mosquito population," it said. CNAFor more reports like this, visit cna.asia.
Source: CNA
