Everytime I see something thrown out of a car’s window I swear: “Bastard, son of a bitch.” But I never do anything about it. I imagine accelerating my car, reaching the litter-driver and shouting from my window: “Hey, you son of a bitch, drive back and pick up your carp.” But I never do it. And I utterly hate myself for it.
Last month Armenian authorities announced the start of the “Clean Armenia” initiative. They plan to adopt new rules as well as run an awareness raising campaign.
Davit Lokyan, Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Development told journalists after a government session that the authorities have put forth a legislative proposal to establish strict fines for throwing trash, cigarette butts from a car’s window.
“The minimum fine is 16,000 AMD (approx. $35 US), for companies the fine could reach up to 200-300,000 AMD (approx. $650 US),” the Minister said.
I wonder how the new rules will be enforced. We’ve had too many cases, like j-walking, when a rule is put in place, but nobody observes it and the police do nothing, because it is violated too many times.
So what’s the solution? I’d suggest creating a website to anonymously upload dash-cam footage for such violations. That would also help people like me to report the cases they observed. Let’s wait a little longer for the new rules to be adopted and if no such mechanism is created I’ll put up such a website in a snap.
Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant
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Tie their pay/bonus/evaluations to the number of litter tickets they write.
Allow the city/jurisdiction where the ticket is written to keep the money collected.
These are the incentives that work in the United States.