A transport company has been convicted after the driver of a company car dropped a lit cigarette out of the window in Hallam.
EPA Victoria fined the unnamed company for littering after a member of the public lodged a complaint in February.
The witness provided photos, recorded the vehicle’s number plate and described the driver as part of the complaint.
They said they watched the driver drop the cigarette near the intersection of Belgrave-Hallam Road and Princes Highway as the car slowed for a red light about 11am on Saturday 5 February.
The company elected to have the matter heard at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
The magistrate issued a conviction because the company failed to show up for the 16 June hearing. There was sufficient evidence to prove the littering offence.
The company was also fined $1800 and ordered to pay EPA’s costs of $406.16.
EPA has issued more than 8500 infringement notices for littering in 2020-’21.
Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, and are a fire hazard while lit, EPA stated. Many also make their way into nearby waterways and Port Phillip.
