Clean-up drive slaps total fines of QR274,875

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment imposed fines totalling QR274,875 on erring facilities and individuals during a massive clean-up campaign launched last month in the Industrial Area, The Peninsula reported.

The campaign was meant to remove illegal portacabins, construction waste as well as abandoned vehicles and tyres littering public places in the crowded industrial district on the outskirts of the city.

The ministry said that the campaign has been a huge success, with a total of 3,338 abandoned vehicles, 14,497 abandoned tyres and 6,685 waste removed until now.

“The campaign is continuing during Ramadan and is expected to end next month. We’ve achieved about 60 to 70% of the target until now,” Safar Mubarak Al Shafi, Director, General Cleanliness Project, Ministry of Municipality and Environment told The Peninsula.

He said inspectors will put up a warning sticker on abandoned vehicle or equipment in a public place. If the owner does not claim the vehicle in three days, it will be taken to an open yard facing Street 33 and kept for another three days.

The owner can take back the vehicle by paying a fine of QR500 along with the expense incurred for towing the vehicle to the yard.

If the vehicle still remains unclaimed, it will be transferred to a permanent facility in Mashaf. The owner can recover the vehicle by paying the fine and the towing charge. If none claims the vehicle in three months, it will be put to public auction, explained Al Shafi.

Until now, inspectors have put up 5,142 warning stickers on abandoned vehicles and returned about 340 vehicles to their owners after collecting the fines.

Several government entities have come together for the campaign, spearheaded by the Temporary Committee for Public Cleaning at the ministry, Doha Municipality, Lekhwiya, Traffic Department, and Al Fazaa. Four teams from Doha Municipality are participating in the campaign.

Courtesy: thepeninsulaqatar.com