With residents working from home instead of commuting to their business, parked cars have been left blocking access for Bradford Council’s 26 tonne wagons, preventing bin collections.
With fewer staff available we will become less able to return later to pick them up when the area is clear. We would urge residents to consider the access we need on bin collections days when they leave their cars.
Bin crews in Bradford are still working hard to keep the district’s waste collections operating nearly as normal despite the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) decimating staff numbers.
The current national working from home restrictions are also throwing up difficulties for our crews due to the abnormally high number of cars parked in residential areas.
The situation at the moment is that all general waste crews are out working at normal staff levels. Recycling crews are also working but with three crews operating with one colleague missing.
In garden waste, we have only half the crews available for work which means two instead of four. As soon as they have collected their rounds they are trying to catch up on the rounds that have been missed.
All Trade Waste collections are being carried out and it is expected that some of the staff from this service will become available as more businesses close temporarily.
The service is also training other Council workers so they can be redeployed as bin collectors.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “Our people are working heroically to keep this core service going despite losing so many colleagues self-isolating at home for health reasons.
“We would ask everyone to try and make their operations run a little more smoothly by parking considerately to allow access for wagons on bin collection days.
“There would be serious consequences if bins did not get emptied in this district and that is why we will pull out all the stops to maintain such a vital service.
“I can only pay my tribute to the people at the sharp end who are doing a great job for our residents during this national health emergency which is affecting them as much as anyone else.”
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