Sol’s refuse trucks back on the road

THE SOL Plaatje Municipality’s nine refuse trucks are expected to be back on the road after they were pulled off the city’s streets earlier this week because of expired licence discs, which necessitated renewing the certificate of fitness.

Municipal spokesperson, Thoko Riet, said the trucks all needed to go through roadworthy before receiving the certificate of fitness (COF).

“Two of the trucks passed the COF on Tuesday afternoon,” she said.

Meanwhile, testing of the remaining trucks started at 6.30am this morning and by 10am a number had already passed the COF and were back on the road.

“These trucks will be collecting refuse in areas that are normally collected on Wednesdays,” Riet added.

Of the nine trucks that were put through roadworthy, four needed to have their brakes adjusted and were expected to be given the all clear by this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Riet stated that areas that had not been collected this week would be collected on Saturday.

“We humbly apologise for the inconvenience,” Riet said.

Residents in certain parts of the city have faced three weeks of non-collection of refuse bags and many threatened to stop paying for rates and services, which they complained was non-existent, while others called for rubbish to be dumped in front of the municipal offices.

“The uncollected bags are creating a health hazard,” one resident said.

“For three weeks already we have had to keep our bags inside our yards and with the current heatwave, they are attracting flies. We already have maggots crawling around everywhere.”

“Some people didn’t take their rubbish bags inside and those have now been broken open and the rubbish strewn all over the street.

“It is time that the Sol Plaatje Municipality provides the service for which residents pay and which it relies on to pay its employees.”