Potential rise in litter fines leaves some in foul mood

Jane Cheung

Pet owners have mixed opinions over a proposal to double littering fines to HK$3,000, with some worried it is too heavy for "absent-minded people" while others said they have the responsibility to clean up their pets' droppings.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau has submitted a proposal to the Legislative Council's panel on food safety and environmental hygiene to raise the fines for the first time since 2003.

The amended bill is expected to be submitted to Legco in the second quarter next year.

Currently, the HK$1,500 fine covers fouling of streets by dog feces, spitting, littering and display of bills or posters without permission.

Last year, 33 pet owners were issued with tickets, while 43 and 23 were handed tickets in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

Although only a few dozen were fined each year, some pet owners are afraid of the possible stepped-up law enforcement.

A dog owner in her mid-20s surnamed Lee said the proposed HK$3,000 fine is too heavy to pet owners who "unintentionally" leave dog feces behind.

"I always bring water and waste bags to pick up my Pomeranian's poop," she said.

"But sometimes I don't have enough waste bags with me because she poops several times in one walk. I remember I had to run to the closest shop to buy a plastic bag and go back to clean it up. Had officers been around, I'd have been fined."

Lee said pet owners are responsible to clean their pets' waste and the heavy fine would "mostly punish unfortunate and absent-minded people" like her.

Housewife Ma, who has two Shiba Inus, said she had seen people ignoring their pets' droppings.

"Sometimes people are just lazy. They pretend they don't see their dog's feces and walk off," she said. "Maybe the fine can deter that."

Meanwhile, lawmakers called for the government to introduce a progressive fine system to deter illegal shop extensions, instead of the earlier proposal to quadruple the fixed penalty to HK$6,000 from HK$1,500.

The proposal to quadruple the fine came after authorities received over 23,500 complaints of illegal shop extensions last year, from less than 8,000 three years ago.

Nearly 15,000 obstruction of public places fine tickets were issued last year but the problem was not eased, especially near wet markets and busy districts such as Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong.

Lawmaker Steven Ho Chun-yin welcomed the steeper fines but suggested incremented fines for a more effective deterrent effect.

"Shops may need to pay up to triple the fine until they stop the problem," he said, adding that each new fine in the progressive system should be introduced within two years of each other.

But the bureau said the system is too complex and would bring operational difficulties to frontline officers.

Hong Kong Food and Environment Hygiene Department Staff Rights Union president Au Pong-tim worried that the steeper fines would lead to stronger reluctance from people, endangering officers.

"Even now, sometimes, officers are assaulted when they give out fines," he said.

He urged the department to step up patrol manpower and collaborate with police in law enforcement.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com