BUKIT MERTAJAM – About 100 cleaning companies in Seberang Prai today launched a protest strike against the Seberang Prai City Council (MBSP) for allegedly putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on solid waste management operators.
The protestors – who wished to gather and dump rubbish in front of the MBSP building – were thwarted when police intervened, in view that the protest would violate standard operating procedures.
Seberang Prai garbage truck drivers welfare chief Arif Ibrahim said the new rate set by MBSP for transporting solid waste is very burdensome and has affected their business.
“Last April, we were informed by MBSP that the new rate for transporting solid waste is RM70 per tonne.
“Previously, the charge for a lorry that can load more than three tonnes of solid waste was only RM180. This means an increase of up to 70%.
“So, now we would have to charge higher – between RM400 and RM450, including service charges – for one lorry, and this would definitely affect our business because consumers think we are deliberately raising prices,” he told reporters in front of the MBSP building today.
Apart from the issue of increasing charges for transporting solid waste, Arif said they also object to MBSP’s proposal to impose a condition that all lorries wishing to enter the garbage disposal centre in Pulau Burung, Nibong Tebal, install GPS tracking devices on their respective vehicles.
“What laws do they use to (want us to) install GPS on privately owned vehicles like ours?
“We collect garbage from factories and house-to-house only, and we have nothing to do with collecting garbage from government facilities,” he said.
Arif said garbage truck drivers also face difficulties every time they go to the garbage disposal centre in Pulau Burung because the roads there are poorly maintained.
He said the situation has become very dangerous for the drivers and MBSP employees because of minor accidents, as well as lorry tires that often get stuck on the road.
“My own lorry’s windshield has been broken due to dangerous debris.
“Is MBSP willing to pay compensation, or (will it) wait until a fatal accident occurs?”
Arif said his party had also submitted two memoranda of protest to MBSP since last September, but was met with no response.
“We need answers. If MBSP does not want to respond, we will continue to boycott and will not help with clean-up work in Penang until our problems are resolved,” he added. – The Vibes, November 11, 2021
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