Covid: 'Severe' driver shortage affects Cardiff bin collections

Rubbish piling up on the streets of Cardiff angering residents has been caused by a "severe" shortage of bin lorry drivers, the council has said

Up to 20 drivers are off either "due to sickness and Covid-related issues", or through leave accrued while working "flat out" in the pandemic, it said.

In February, bin collection dates were changed for 85,301 city homes.

The council switched to a four-day week to "improve" services, it said.

However, a number of residents have complained on social media about delays to their collections.

One resident tweeted: "No green bin and recycle bags collection again today (Friday 26th).

"Thornhill area. Any ideas please? It's not too much to ask when you're only paying £220 a month for council tax."

Another person shared a picture of an overflowing bin and wrote: "All the rubbish bins are overflowing the picture was taken yesterday it's much worse today. We normally have collections weekly this has not happened for two weeks.

"Area of green belt between Llanishen and Thornhill. Councillors need to lobby whomever is responsible."

The council was inundated with tweets from angry residents demanding news about when the service would resume.

In a blanket reply, it wrote: "Due to severe staff shortages, caused by drivers having to self isolate, we are sorry to say that waste collections have been impacted.

"Please leave your garden waste bin out - our crews will attend as soon as possible to collect."

Last October, the council suspended collection of green waste because of the pandemic, until this month.

The once-monthly collections were stopped because of Covid, it said.

But speaking to BBC Wales, Conservative councillor Adrian Robson said that apart from a one-off collection in January, the service had still not resumed.