Drivers in Moldova will be fined for throwing out litter from their cars. The relevant amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences have been adopted by the republic’s parliament. The violators will have to pay fines in the amount of up to 1000 leu (approx. $50). They may also be forced to work in favor of the public from 40 to 60 hours, TASS reports.

“The sanctions shall be applied to persons who were taken in the mainour or on the ground of the statement of other witnesses, who will present photos or videos from surveillance cameras as material evidence,” the law reads.

The mechanism of “public participation” in revealing the violators sparked heated debates among the MPs. It was proposed to include not only the workers of law enforcement authorities and testimonies of witnesses but also the representatives of mass media and public.  

During the discussion, the authors of the amendments presented the examples of the EU states, where the practice of punishing the drivers from throwing out litter is still applied.  For instance, the fine for this violation is 90 euro in Spain, that of the coarse litter being 200 euro. 

It was also mentioned that before introducing the punishment, the authorities should install recycle bins along the roads and create containers for the drivers, which will allow them to get rid of their litter. These conditions are still absent even on the roads in the capital and other cities of the republic.

The Moldovan legislation previously stipulated punishment for the litter thrown out of the windows of public passenger transport.