I notice a habit among many smokers of throwing their cigarette butts on the ground, leaving unsightly litter in their wake.

At the Suntec Convention Centre bus stop after work last week, a man next to me started smoking, dropping ash on the pavement as he talked on his mobile phone. He then threw his cigarette butt on the ground.

When I chastised him for doing so, he replied: "But there is no bin." He walked away quickly after that.

It is no wonder we have to employ an army of foreign workers to help clear the countless cigarette butts, not only at bus stops but also at public places like East Coast Park, manhole covers, carparks and so on.

How do we stop such uncivic behaviour? Bins are not the solution. It has to be a combination of fines to hurt their pockets, and education - of smokers to do their part and of non-smokers to shame them into doing so.

Linda Tan Gek Neo (Ms)