The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) last Friday launched the use of polythene litterbags in commercial vehicles to help tackle poor sanitation and filth in the metropolis.

Mr Solomon Darko, Chief Executive of the AMA, who preformed the launching at the Tema Lorry Station in Accra, said it would be an offence according to the AMA byelaws for any driver to fail to provide a polythene litterbag on his vehicle.

Offenders stand the risk of being fined 200,000 cedis or in default a term of imprisonment of not less than six months or to both.

He explained that drivers must always inform passengers of the presence of the polythene bags which must be conspicuously kept in their vehicles and draw passengers' attention to it and which must be emptied into refuse containers at the stations.

Mr Darko said the Assembly spends over two billion cedis on waste management every month through cleaning and de-silting of drains; solid waste collection, transportation, disposal and maintenance of land fill sites.

He said some of this cost could be saved if residents and passengers could avoid the indiscriminate disposal of refuse and be able to exhibit the practice of disciplined disposal of garbage.

Mr Darko said drivers had a major role to play in the crusade for environmental sanity, saying statistics show that over 60 per cent of vehicles registered in the country either operate in Accra or ply between Accra and elsewhere.

There was a demonstration of how the litterbags were to be used and how the AMA officials would come for them later.

The AMA later provided 10 rubber litterbins to be used at the Tema Station.