NEA increases visibility of Corrective Work Order sessions

Singapore, 7 May 2019 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) has seen an almost 22 per cent increase in the number of tickets issued for littering offences in 2018, compared to that in 2017. Last year, about 39,000 tickets were issued, which is an increase of 7,000 from the previous year. The number of Corrective Work Orders (CWOs) issued to offenders in the past year also rose by 30 per cent, from about 2,000 cases in 2017 to about 2,600 cases in 2018.

2          NEA’s anti-littering enforcement regime takes strict enforcement action against those who litter, with fines comprising a composition sum of $300 for the first offence, and aims to send a deterrence message. Recalcitrant offenders prosecuted in court may be issued a fine and/or CWO. Introduced in 1992, the CWO requires recalcitrant offenders to clean public areas for a minimum of three hours, up to a maximum of 12 hours. This regime serves to increase recalcitrant offenders’ awareness of the impact of littering, as well as experience the difficulties faced by cleaners.

3          Under the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA), the maximum fine for a littering offence is $2,000 for the first court conviction, $4,000 for the second conviction, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions.

Stepped-up efforts to deter re-offenders

4          To improve the deterrence effect of a CWO, from May 2019, NEA has introduced informative standees around locations identified for CWO sessions, to highlight an ongoing session so as to raise public awareness of the CWO (see Annex A for image of the standee).

5          NEA has also revamped the design of the CWO vest, to raise the visibility of the CWO to increase deterrence effect. The CWO vest was previously luminous yellow, making it appear similar to other safety vests worn by personnel carrying out work in public areas. The revamped vest is luminous pink and yellow, serving to make it more readily distinguishable (see Annex B for images of the vest).

6          NEA officers, both uniformed and non-uniformed, conduct targeted enforcement at littering hotspots, and at areas where a large number of individuals congregate. Littering commonly occurs in neighbourhood centres, areas around hawker centres, MRT stations, and shopping malls. The majority of littering offenders are male, and fall within the age group of 18 to 35 years old. NEA officers carry out enforcement against a variety of public health offences, including littering, as part of their duties. In addition to daily enforcement efforts, NEA conducts regular enforcement blitzes at various locations nationwide.

7          The deployment of technology, such as cameras and video analytics, have also helped augment our enforcement operations and capabilities. These technologies have enhanced the effectiveness of our enforcement operations, by optimising the limited enforcement manpower and prioritising the monitoring of known littering and smoking hotspots.

Ground-up initiatives

8          To complement enforcement efforts, NEA, together with its partners such as the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), has been working on various fronts to encourage everyone to exercise social graciousness and take greater ownership in keeping Singapore clean.

9          NEA has also been engaging volunteers to educate littering offenders to be socially responsible, under the Community Volunteer Programme. To date, more than 410 community volunteers have been trained, and they have engaged more than 9,900 individuals for environmental offences, including littering. Litter-Free Ambassadors also help to encourage the community to be considerate, and to keep our shared spaces clean for everyone.

10        Everyone has a part to play in upholding high standards of cleanliness and public health in Singapore. NEA will continue with its educational and enforcement efforts, to encourage members of the public to exercise social graciousness and take personal ownership in keeping Singapore clean.

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For more information, please contact us at 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255 632) or submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

ANNEX A

Image of the standee used during a CWO session

ANNEX B

Images of previous and current CWO vests

New Vest Front	Old Vest Front
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