Garbage on the road is a problem. In the right-of-way, in parking lots, check-in areas and roadsides, food and drink packaging, but also, for example, used tires or debris end up on the roadside. That is why on April 22 – on the World Earth Day – the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways starts the “Road is not a landfill” campaign. – We want to show traffic participants the scale of the phenomenon – road workers emphasize.
Food wrappers, empty bottles, cups and cans. All this lands on Polish roads thrown out of car windows. And this, as he points out General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways – not only does it pollute the environment, but it can be dangerous, because garbage lying on the roads can contribute to accidents.
“We want to show traffic participants the scale of the phenomenon of littering roads, especially the highest categories: motorways and expressways. We will point out that litter on the road is not only a matter of aesthetics and the cost of cleaning it, but also the safety of road users. really large amounts for cleaning and we would like to reduce these expenses” – reads the message posted on the website of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways.
The campaign is set to start on April 22 World Earth Day.
Rubbish left between acoustic screensGDDKiA
Garbage is thrown out of cars, but road workers also find bulky waste
The General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways informs that it maintains nearly 18,000 kilometers of national roads. Taking into account additional roadways, e.g. service roads, it is already over 22,000 kilometers. Routes are monitored by road service patrols. “Unfortunately, during detours, we notice large amounts of garbage that is thrown out of cars. It is not only garbage ‘produced’ during the journey, but also bulky waste or even debris thrown in the road lane,” said a representative of GDDKiA.
Worn tires on the service roadGDDKiA
Most often – according to the services – plastic bottles, food packaging, and beverage cans are thrown out of cars. There are also remnants of torn tires or broken hubcaps on the road. The costs of cleaning are borne by the road administrator, and the funds for the maintenance of national roads come from the State Treasury, so all taxpayers contribute to the cleaning of garbage left on the roads.
For keeping clean, on roads and car parks, GDDKiA spent about PLN 80 million in 2022. The most – PLN 16 million in the Mazowieckie Voivodship, PLN 12 million in Podlaskie, PLN 11 million in Dolnośląskie. The lowest in Opolskie – PLN 506,000 and Podkarpackie – 515,000. zloty
Garbage by the A4 motorway on the section Tarnów – DębicaGDDKiA
What to do with the garbage? GDDKiA calls for garbage to be disposed of in specially designated waste bins, which are placed along national roads at Service Areas and car parks.
Expressway S5, Wołów Region – road service vehicleGDDKiA
Main photo source: GDDKiA