Tough new laws in an effort to keep city clean

Staff Reporter PALMA City Council will get tough on residents who fail to comply with new by-laws on keeping the city clean, rubbish disposal and pet control. As of now, penalties for non-serious offences (for example, spitting, discarding chewing gum or cleaning mats out on the street), will be ten times higher than previously, which could mean a fine of 300 euros. However, Antoni Nadal, the mayor's Environment deputy, warned that serious misdemenours, which until now have only carried a fine of 60 euros, will in future face fines ranging from 300 to 901 euros, and for the most serious of all between 901 and 1'803 euros. The statute related to keeping the environment clean, dispensed with 16 of its articles which have been in force since 1995, and 31 new ones have been inserted. “The aim is to raise public awareness and encourage people to collaborate with us in keeping the streets clean”, said Nadal. The text prohibits the contamination of beaches, coastal areas, and public roads, by vehicles or domestic animals. It legislates against unlawful billboarding and the scrawling of graffiti in public places. It promotes environmental controls with the number of inspectors to be increased from 14 to 40, co-ordinating with the full support of the local police. The new statutes relating to pet control in towns, include specifications on permits for animal breeding. They prohibit the feeding of animals out in the street (for example, feeding pigeons), and take into account putting animals to sleep if they (the animals) are constantly in a great deal of pain. Pet owners will also have to clean up after them. Penalties for law infringement in this sector are the same as for the violation of cleaning by-laws. Marina Sans, deputy for Health and Consumer affairs, said these by-laws will ensure that an acceptable level of hygiene is maintained and that citizens will be made to take responsibility for their environment.