Ugandan authorities to impose rubbish bin fines on drivers

Uganda’s environmental management agency says it will start imposing fines from April on motorists driving private cars without rubbish bins.

Offenders will face a maximum fine of up to 6,000,000 Ugandan shillings ($1,630; £1,350), according to a penalty scheme announced on Wednesday.

Motorists who refuse to pay the fines will face prosecution and imprisonment or a fine determined by the courts, the agency said in a statement.

Currently passenger buses travelling over long distances in the country are obligated to have rubbish bins.

But it’s the new requirement for bins in private cars that has got the attention of Ugandans, with many asking if there was a particular standard for what counts as a rubbish bin.

“As long as you are using something that is not prohibited to hold your rubbish, you should be fine. Plastic bags are prohibited,” Naomi Karekaho, the spokesperson of the agency, told the BBC.

She said the agency would capture the definition of what counts as a rubbish bin in the next amendment.

“Of all penalties for environmental breaches that we announced this seems to have caught the attention of most people. Maybe it’s the sheer excitement of having a dustbin in a car,” she added.

With BBC