The fine for littering in Calgary could be going up.
City bylaw officers are asking for approval to increase fines substantially in hopes of putting an end to the complaints they receive about people littering.
"In the last 12 months I've had 1,881 calls about garbage and litter. So it's obviously on Calgarians' minds and so we're just updating the bylaw to provide tools for officers to use," says Bill Bruce from Calgary Bylaw Services.
The new rules would mean a $500 fine for littering, a $750 fine for throwing garbage out your car window, and a $1,000 fine for throwing a lit cigarette out your vehicle.
One alderman thinks the new fees are too much. "That's almost someone's paycheck so I do think it's excessive. But probably spending the money on a public education program would be far more beneficial," says Diane Colley-Urquhart, the alderman for Ward 11.
Currently it costs $300 if you are caught littering, no matter what type of littering it is.
