Published On: 17/03/2016

NOT a single person has been fined for smoking in Sydney’s Martin Place in the 10 months since the City of Sydney imposed a year-long ban on the strip.

And, in what one City of Sydney Councillor called “an open invitation to smoke”, the council has left its ashtrays in place.

Central Sydney witnessed eight people freely puffing away without a ranger in sight, over a 40 minute period last week.

It comes after Lord Mayor Clover Moore admitted the statistic at the last council meeting a fortnight ago.

The revelations led Liberal Cr Edward Mandla to criticise the trial as “sloppy”, and question whether the council was “fair dinkum or just being symbolic”.

He said rangers patrolling smoke-free zones in Martin Place had been ordered to follow smokers and insist that they give their personal details so that a fine can be issued.

Not one fine issued to smokers flouting Martin Place ban for past 10 months