• There were more than 1,000 instances of enforcement against high-rise litterbugs in 2020, said Senior Minister of State Amy Khor
• The Govt also deployed over 50 per cent more surveillance cameras in 2020, compared with 2019
• The National Environment Agency currently deploys an average of 220 surveillance cameras with video analytics each month
• The authorities also received an average of about 2,900 pieces of feedback a month on smoking in prohibited areas in 2020

SINGAPORE — There were more than 1,000 instances of enforcement against high-rise litterbugs last year, Dr Amy Khor told Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 2). 

The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment said that the Government had increased enforcement against high-rise litterbugs by raising the deployment of surveillance cameras by more than 50 per cent last year, compared with 2019.

She was responding to a parliamentary question from Bukit Panjang Member of Parliament (MP) Liang Eng Hwa.

Mr Liang wanted to know if high-rise anti-littering measures by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) have been effective so far and whether the use of surveillance devices could be scaled up. He also asked if agencies would consider new technologies to improve their enforcement capabilities.

Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said in September last year that from 2016 to 2019, the number of enforcement actions against high-rise litterbugs ranged between 1,100 and 1,500 yearly. 

Ms Fu also said then that in the past five years, there were a total of 6,000 instances of enforcement taken against 2,200 offenders for high-rise littering.

In a separate parliamentary reply on Tuesday, Ms Fu said that the National Environment Agency (NEA) currently deploys an average of 220 surveillance cameras with video analytics each month, with the length of deployment lasting between five to 14 days.

She was responding to a written question from Sengkang Group Representation Constituency MP Louis Chua from the Workers' Party, who had also asked if MSE will consider increasing the number of surveillance cameras to detect and deter high-rise littering and bird feeding.

Ms Fu said that even as NEA steps up enforcement through such surveillance cameras, residents must continue to cultivate social graciousness and a sense of collective responsibility to keep the country clean and safe.

"For this reason, NEA adopts complementary strategies such as strengthening community partnerships to raise awareness on the negative impacts of high-rise littering," she added.

Dr Khor said on Tuesday that NEA has been working with town councils to exchange information in a more timely manner, so as to pave the way for investigations into high-rise littering offences.

“NEA will continue to enhance its enforcement capabilities by keeping pace with developments in camera technology for high-rise littering surveillance.” 

To raise awareness of the impact of high-rise littering and deter offenders, NEA also rolled out informative standees at public areas with persistent littering feedback and enforcement as part of a trial last year.

Mr Liang said that he had not seen improvements in the littering situation in the estates that he has been monitoring and asked Dr Khor if the measures were not an adequate deterrent for offenders. 

He also asked if NEA viewed the littering issue as a “steady-state problem” or if it was committed to reducing it. 

To this, Dr Khor said that it was not easy to identify and apprehend high-rise litterbugs in heavily built-up and dense estates.

The authorities, however, take firm enforcement action as far as possible and practicable, said Dr Khor.

NEA has also taken steps to curb littering, such as beefing up its surveillance capabilities through technology and data analytics, and shortening the time taken for investigations. 

SMOKING IN PROHIBITED AREAS

On Tuesday, Dr Khor also disclosed that last year, the Government received an average of about 2,900 pieces of feedback a month on smoking in prohibited areas, and 210 pieces of feedback a month on smoking in non-prohibited areas.

This was in response to a question from Ms Yeo Wan Ling, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency, about the frequency of complaints on smoking in places where it is banned and how many turned out to be in areas where smoking is not prohibited.

It is an offence for a person to smoke in prohibited areas under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations.

Dr Khor said that NEA does not track the number of complaints about smoking in prohibited areas that turned out to be places where smoking is not banned. 

Ms Yeo also asked if MSE had considered redefining prohibited smoking areas based on different parameters, such as the volume of human traffic and the width of walking areas.

To this, Dr Khor replied that NEA had been progressively extending the smoking prohibition to more places where the public is likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke.

Based on NEA’s website, these include areas in buildings, food retail establishments, transport nodes, public service vehicles as well as sports and recreational facilities.

The volume of human traffic is already a consideration when determining places where smoking is banned. Other factors, such as whether the places are enclosed and the frequency of visits by families and vulnerable groups, are also considered, she said.

Ms Yeo pointed out that bins at MRT stations or along paths leading to shopping malls are a hot spot for smokers. 

Such areas, where smoking is allowed, tend to be frequented by families with young children and those vulnerable to secondhand smoke, and see a high incidence of smoking complaints, she said.

She asked if the bins in these areas could be moved to places with lower foot traffic. 

In response, Dr Khor said that NEA had received similar feedback and is working with other agencies and owners of premises to relocate the bins away from crowded thoroughfares.