Dudley drivers urged to park 'responsibly' to let bin collectors through
A highways chief in Dudley has urged motorists to park considerately after complaints about "irresponsible" drivers causing delays for waste collection vehicles.
Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environment, joined council crews during their usual refuse collections to see the challenges presented by poor parking first-hand.
The highways chief, who is an experienced HGV driver of more than 30 years, took to the wheel to drive one of the waste care vehicles in Upper Gornal.
It comes following complaints by Dudley Council of "irresponsible" parking in the borough, which is causing delays for the refuse collection crew who collect around 15 tonnes of waste from approximately 1,400 properties each day.
Mr Corfield said: "With new homes continuing to be built and a growing population, demand on the service is high but collection rounds are sometimes being delayed by people who have double or irresponsibly parked.
"As an experienced HGV driver, it was important for me to go out today and get behind the wheel for myself, and it was useful to see the sorts of issues our drivers are facing.
"I want to ask all our residents to remember not only how irresponsible parking can cause issues for the waste care services that we all rely on, but also how such parking could affect access for emergency vehicles."
Dudley Council has 38 frontline 26-tonne vehicles for refuse and green collections, with six narrow access vehicles undertaking weekly and fortnightly recycling collections across the borough.
The crews will collect as normal on Bank Holiday Mondays, and, with some people heading away for the weekend and many off work, residents have been reminded to leave cars responsibly parked.
