Local residents served by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council waste collection services are angry after their waste bins have not been collected on time again.
The collection of recycling waste in green bins was supposed to have been collected last week, but there has been no sign of any collections. The bins are still piled high along kerbsides, with cardboard and paper blowing down the streets and country lanes.
TMBC have released a statement on their official website stating “we are aware that the contractor is currently running 3 working days behind on recycling collections this week. The reason given by our contactor is the national shortage of HGV drivers, which is affecting their ability to retain and recruit drivers, meaning they are unable to deploy sufficient vehicles to complete the rounds”.
The website also says “We are continuing to require our contractor to rectify this situation and will post further information on this page, so please continue to check back for the latest updates. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused, and we thank you for your patience at this time. We are issuing financial penalties to our contractor for this disrupted performance”.
we are aware that the contractor is currently running 3 working days behind on recycling collections
TMBC only signed a new contract with this contractor 20 months ago but it is not the first time they have run into problems. It would appear that the council have chosen to go with the ‘cheapest’ contractor, but sadly the reality has dawned on them that ‘cheapest’ does not always mean a good service.
The contractor has offered the council such a great deal for waste collection services that they now cannot afford to pay HGV drivers the going rate of pay. Drivers employed by the contractor are now able to find better paid driving jobs elsewhere.
It is rumoured that the contract is watertight and was previous signed when the Conservatives were in power. Now there is a shared party council, no party has the power to get out of the contract. The contract has a duration of 10 years meaning there could be many more problems ahead for both the council and residents.
