'May amend rules to impose fine on cars if drivers spit on road’

MP, 9 Feb 2025, Kolkata: Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim said the state government is planning to amend the existing rules which would allow imposing fines on vehicles in cases where the occupants are found spitting out chewing tobacco on the road from the car. 

The Mayor said the KMC already has existing rules which allow imposition of fines for polluting the city through such activities. This is ruining the city’s mission to make Kolkata a ‘clean and green’ city. Even food wastes are being dumped on the roadsides. Food stalls must install bins at the spot and ensure they collect the waste and deposit it in the KMC compactor stations, he suggested. 

 “We keep warning people against spitting on the road, especially spitting out gutkha or chewing tobacco. There are already provisions for imposing fines for such activities but we need to make tougher rules,” he said. 

Hakim said that it is easy to catch a pedestrian spitting on the road or urinating in public places but it is difficult to catch hold of persons who spit out from a moving car. To check this, the state is mulling amendments to the rule so that fines can be imposed on the vehicles, he said. Further, the Mayor informed that KMC already has hoardings installed with warning messages in Bengali. 

Soon, hoardings with messages in English and Hindi will also be put up. Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her displeasure over indiscriminate spitting betel juices and gutkha in the city. 

At the recent Cabinet meeting, she is learnt to have reportedly asked state administration officials to examine the possibilities of increasing fines for such a nuisance act. It was learnt that the state may introduce an amendment Bill in the upcoming Budget session to curb the same. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/may-amend-rules-to-impose-fine-on-cars-if-drivers-spit-on-road-598090