Waste bins: ASEPA holds interactive with transport union leaders, announces 5,000 fine for defaulters
Waste bins: ASEPA holds interactive with transport union leaders, announces 50,000 fine for defaulters
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
Ahead of plans to enforce the compulsory use of waste bins in all commercial vehicles, the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency held an interactive session with transport union leaders and other stakeholders across the state on Tuesday.
Speaking during the engagement, the Director General of ASEPA, Mazi Ogbonnia Okereke, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to environmental cleanliness through renewed enforcement of the policy mandating waste bins in commercial vehicles operating within the state.
He noted that cleanliness remains a key priority of Governor Alex Otti’s administration, assuring participants that resolutions reached at the meeting would be communicated directly to the governor, reflecting the government’s commitment to policies that enhance the well being of residents.
According to Okereke, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to sustain Abia’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s cleanest states. He stressed that all measures being introduced are aimed at improving sanitation and promoting a healthier environment.
Under the directive, every commercial vehicle, including buses, tricycles and trucks, is required to be fitted with a waste bin for passenger use. Drivers are expected to dispose of waste properly at designated motor parks, where larger bins will be installed to support effective refuse collection.
He explained that smaller bins would be used in buses and tricycles, while larger bins would be stationed at motor parks. Enforcement, he added, would be carried out in collaboration with transport unions to ensure compliance across the state.
“The primary goal of this exercise is not to generate revenue through fines but to achieve full compliance and sustain the level of cleanliness already recorded,” Okereke said.
He warned that there would be zero tolerance for non compliance, stating that any vehicle found operating without a functional waste bin would be impounded and fined 50,000 naira. He added that possession of multiple bins without placing one in a vehicle would still be treated as a violation.
Operators have been given a two week grace period to comply with the directive. The approved cost of waste bins has been fixed at 2,000 naira for buses and 1,300 naira for tricycles.
Okereke emphasised that adherence to the policy is more important than penalties, noting that the ultimate aim is to preserve and improve environmental standards across the state.
Stakeholders present at the meeting included the Director General of the Abia State Orientation Agency, Mrs Urenna Abazie, alongside leaders of various transport unions in the state.