RIYADH — Anyone who is found spitting on the street or throwing garbage from moving vehicles will be fined SR150, reported Makkah Arabic daily on Saturday quoting a Traffic Department announcement.
The Traffic Department appealed to citizens and expatriates to maintain public decorum.
It said that the fine will be a deterrent for reckless motorists who throw garbage from moving vehicles.
The Traffic Department said littering or spitting is a traffic violation that comes under the Fourth Category on the list of traffic violations and penalties. It comes under the title “Throwing objects from vehicles while driving”.
The minimum fine for this is SR100 and the maximum is SR150.
Studies done by health organizations have confirmed that spitting on the street and littering (throwing industrial and food leftovers) are pollutants of the environment.
The studies indicate that 70 percent of airborne diseases like bronchitis and tuberculosis have been transmitted due to spitting in public places.
Tuberculosis bacteria can survive for months especially in places that are not exposed to sunlight, according to the studies. These bacteria multiply rapidly in the air and dust.
Studies have shown that the cost of treating pollution in Arabian Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia is 10 percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) annually.
