Lockdown licensing woes turn garbage collection in Cape Town into a late show

Sounds of the suburbs in Cape Town increasingly include garbage bins being emptied as late as 11pm and over weekends.

Up to 40% of city council garbage trucks have been unavailable for several weeks, mayoral committee member for water and waste Xanthea Limberg told TimesLIVE on Thursday.

“Due to lockdown, vehicles could not be tested for certificate of fitness, roadworthied and licensed, which in recent weeks has impacted on the availability of vehicles,” she said.

Nevertheless, bins had been emptied either on the normal day or the following morning.

“No non-collections have been allowed to stand over for longer than 24 hours and staff have worked 16-hour days and on weekends to ensure service delivery,” said Limberg.

Readers contacted TimeLIVE this week to say their bins had been emptied as late as 11pm, and Limberg said this was because “for the past few weeks the availability of vehicles has been between 60% and 80%”.

She said the problems should be resolved within a few weeks once all vehicles had been roadworthied and licensed.

“During this time, residents are reminded to please leave out their bins for collection until 8pm, or take them out again the next day if not collected by that time,” she said.

TimesLIVE