Scotland TranServ is asking drivers in Ayrshire to give their litter a lift, and take it home.
Over the last three years, Scotland TranServ operatives have removed an increasing volume of litter from the side of our motorways and slip roads that has been carelessly thrown away by motorists. In 2015/16 that figure was 95 tonnes, in 2016/17 it rose to 98 tonnes, and in 2017/18 it was a staggering 112 tonnes.
As well as the usual offenders such as takeaway trash, discarded drinks bottles and cans and burnt out cigarette butts, there are also larger items including beds, baths and barbecues that have been recovered from our roads.
We’re backing Keep Scotland Beautiful’s (KSB) roadside litter campaign all year round, and working to identify a number of hotspots across our network.
Carole Noble, Operations Director at Keep Scotland Beautiful said:
“Our latest figures show that the amount of litter and fly tipping in Scotland is at its worst level in a decade. We recognize that each piece of litter on our roadsides, in our parks and on our streets, was discarded by a thoughtless individual. Those who clean litter up, the road operators, local authorities’ staff and the volunteers are not to blame. Littering is illegal. We need individuals to do the right thing; to use a bin or to take their litter home.”
Scotland TranServ works with local authorities across South West Scotland to address the litter blight. TranServ’s operatives tidy unwanted trash from motorway verges under their contracts whilst this duty sits with councils for the remaining trunk roads and local roads.
Andrew Adam, Scotland TranServ’s Operations Manager said:
“Roadside litter is not only a major problem for our business, it is also a costly one. Our cyclic maintenance teams work throughout the year to collect unwanted waste, carelessly thrown away by thoughtless drivers. It’s a major headache, often requiring lane closures and putting our operatives at risk as lorries and cars speed past just a few metres away. Ultimately the responsibility is with drivers to properly dispose of their rubbish.”
Our operatives are involved in the motorway clear up, which amounts to thousands of pounds investment every year. Latest KSB research found that 88%of Scottish adults also agree that roadside litter creates a negative impression of Scotland. Our motorway network is often the first part of Scotland that visitors see when they come out of the airport, and we’re investing millions of pounds to create a good impression.
Closer to home, Keep Scotland Beautiful has revealed some startling statistics as part of their campaign:
More than half of Scottish adults have seen someone throw litter from a vehicle and not pick it up
68% of Scottish adults think that there is a problem with the amount of roadside litter in Scotland
The types of roadside litter noticed most are drinks cans/bottles (63%) and food/fast food packaging (61%), with takeaway cups (30%), plastic and paper bags (33%) and cigarette related litter (31%) also significantly noticeable
Andy Fraser, Scotland TranServ’s Operating Company Representative concluded:
“We’re asking drivers to play their part in keeping our motorway verges and trunk roads tidy. Responsibility ultimately lies with motorists who wantonly discard their rubbish out of their vehicle windows. Cleaning up this mess costs us thousands of pounds each year, and this is money that could be better invested in resurfacing trunk roads; the required lane closures would be reduced and we wouldn’t need to put our operatives at risk, just to clear the clutter carelessly left behind by others.”
More information about keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign can be found online at: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/roadside-litter