Steep fines for spitting gum, throwing cigarette butts in Abu Dhabi

Authorities in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have set steep fines for those will be found spitting gum or throwing cigarette butts on the road, a report of the news site "Emirates 24/7" said on Sunday.   According to the report, the Abu Dhabi municipality as part of a crackdown on what it described as “rejected behavior in public.”

"Those found spitting will be fined Dh100 while persons throwing cigarette buts on the road will have to pay Dh200. A Dh500 fine has also been set for those who dump waste in public places," Emirates 24/7 said.

According to the stock estimate of the Commission on Overseas Filipinos, there are nearly 610,000 Filipinos in UAE.

In a statement published in Alittihad daily on Monday, the municipality of Abu Dhabi said it had issued 267 penalties against such offenses in Abu Dhabi this year.

“The penalties were issued during campaigns launched by the municipality to curb such practices and create public awareness of the need to keep the city clean and preserve its aesthetic image,” officials were quoted as saying. - VVP, GMA News