Paan spitters must clean up their act, literally

Dubai - People spitting paan (betel leaf) in Dubai should not be just fined, but also made to clean up their spit, many Dubai residents have said while welcoming the emirate’s move to issue stiffer penalties for cleanliness violations.

The Dubai Municipality has doubled the fine for spitting paan in public places to Dh1,000 as part of amendments made to the regulations passed by the Dubai Executive Council. The new fines were approved by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Tuesday.

Responding to a Khaleej Times report on the same, many residents supported the move and even called for community service as an additional punitive measure for people dirtying the city.

A whopping 87 per cent of KT readers, who voted in our online poll (by 5pm), said they supported the Dh1,000 fine for spitting paan. Discussing the report on the radio, Dubai-based RJ, Nyla Usha, said people spitting on the roads and streets should be made to literally clean up their act.

“They are fined when they are caught red-handed. They should be made to clean their spit then and there itself,” she said.

Writing on our Facebook page, hundreds of readers echoed the same. Karyaab Baloch posted: “Very good ... fine plus 7days cleaning punishment of public toilets. And if possible put cameras....like radar ...these paan chewing people never understand how people feel when they spit in public (sic).”

Many others also called for public toilet cleaning as a punitive community service for the offenders.

Another reader, Mohammed, said such rules should be implemented across the UAE to make it the cleanest country in the world.

Naseem Shaik said people selling paan should also be fined. As per the new regulation, the fine for those trading in betel leaves will be Dh5,000.

However, readers like Dahal Sagar said such offenders’ fines should not be increased since most of them are poor workers. Instead, Sagar opined, they must be made to clean the spit, which will serve as a punitive measure and help change their thinking.

Masoom Orakzai posted: “If someone is spitting paan gotka or naswar, then (Dh) 1000 fine is ok...for normal spitting the fine should be (Dh) 100 (sic).”  In fact, the fine for that offence is Dh500.

Several residents also welcomed the Dh1,000 fine for littering on Dubai’s beaches and throwing garbage into the sea or creek. “We go to the beach to enjoy the beauty of the nature. It is sad how some people behave in uncivilised way and throw waste around. They deserve such fines,” said Ayisha Shafi.

sajila@khaleejtimes.com