JEDDAH, 16 December — The government has introduced a new municipality law toughening penalties on violators of general health and safety laws especially those who fail to properly dispose of their litter.
Under the new law passed by the Council of Ministers last week, fines ranging from SR1,000 to SR5,000 will be slapped on anyone caught throwing waste material from homes, restaurants, shops or passing vehicles or dumping the same on undesignated areas.
Disposal of industrial waste in a manner that could endanger public health is punishable by fines reaching up to SR10,000.
To reduce pollution and help keep city air clean, cars found to pollute the environment from exhaust emissions would have to pay a fine of minimum SR100 and a maximum SR500 depending on the seriousness of the violation. The bill did not specify the volume exhaust emissions but said the file will be slapped on vehicle found to leave a “large trail of smoke” behind them.
The penalty for leaving animals unattended and thus endangering the lives of motorists and pedestrians came as a disappointment for many.
Owners of stray camels as well as small animals roaming the streets are punishable by a maximum fine of SR500. They could get away by just paying SR100 which is the minimum amount set for such violations. Stray camels cause fatal accidents that kill many people every year along the Kingdom’s highways. Almost all such accidents happen at night with cars smashing into camels straying into the road.
The bill stressed the need for water conservation setting fines of up to SR5,000 on households if negligence led to water leakage onto the street and open grounds. Commercial businesses such as restaurants and shops are also included here.
The heaviest fines have been reserved for violations relating to the consumption of food and water. Any business found to be using unauthorized or expired stuff would be fined up to SR20,000. The minimum penalty here is SR10,000. The erring business faces the risk of being closed down if the violation is repeated. The penalty covers safety, storage and licensing violations. Workers employed in places selling or serving food must wear uniforms and hold valid health certificates.
Public kitchens locally known as “matabikh” where traditional dishes (mandi and mazbi) are prepared would be fined SR5,000 if caught slaughtering animals outside abattoirs authorized by the municipality.
The place will be shut down and the license withdrawn if it is found guilty of repeating the offense.
Supervision has been tightened on barbershops. They will be fined SR2,000 if caught using unclean instruments. The same penalty applies if the shop lacks sterilization equipment.
The longest list of penalties for any single category has been reserved for the construction sector with more than 40 violations listed.
These include failure to demolish dilapidated buildings, failure to put warning posters on work sites or to properly dispose of construction waste, damaging power cables, erecting concrete bumps on streets or putting graffiti material or using fences and walls for advertising purposes without authorization. The penalties range from SR100 to SR10,000.
