Residents complain of skips shortage

San Gwann residents are kicking up a stink after the number of skips available for their daily rubbish dwindled to 110 from 200, following the award of the contract by the local council to a new supplier.

The locality has never had regular door-to-door collections in most parts of the town, a system that has worked well because of the number of skips available. However, these have gone down substantially 10 days ago.

Residents who contacted The Times said they had been instructed by the council to leave their garbage bags in the spot where the skip once was, for collection twice a day. However, the residents are upset that the rubbish, which is smelling badly in the heat, is attracting the attention of rats.

The Nationalist Party's Councillors' College has condemned the council accusing it of ignoring the residents' interests and following a partisan agenda.

It criticised the mayor and Labour councillors for awarding the contract for the provision of the skips to the barman of the San Gwann Labour Party club, when the person in question did not have enough skips.

When contacted, council mayor Joe Borg confirmed that the new contractor had 90 skips fewer than previously supplied but gave his assurance that the situation would return to normal by the end of this week when the remaining skips arrive from Germany.

"It is true that the tender was awarded to the barman of the Labour Party club, but this has nothing to do with politics. We chose him because the contract was about Lm1,000 cheaper," he said. The previous supplier had the right to appeal within 15 days but never did, he added.