New regulations to fine vehicle owners for dropping litter out of cars have been welcomed by the Island’s MP Bob Seely.
The Government has also almost doubled the fine to from £80 to £150 for littering and wants to include rubbish thrown from vehicles for the first time outside London.
Councils will be able to impose a civil penalty for the offence.
“I attended a committee on these draft regulations recently in parliament and I support them as I believe they will go a long way to try and change the public’s perception that littering is bad and that something can be done about it,” said Bob.
“As I said during the debate, I recognise that allowing councils to go after the registered keeper of the offending vehicle will be difficult to enforce. However, these regulations are also about social pressure, not necessarily about enforcement through the law, but a sense of social enforcement; chucking litter out of cars should be seen to be wrong.
“It will not change everyone’s behaviour, but this law simply being enacted should change some people’s behaviour, which would have a positive result and do something to tackle the £800 million a year bill we have to clean up our streets and countryside nationwide.”
The purpose of the regulations is to make it easier for councils to take enforcement action by removing the need to identify the litterer and holding the “keeper” of the vehicle responsible.
They are due to come into force from April 1 this year, if both houses of Parliament agree.