Over R30 000 in Fines Issued to Waste Transporters

Nelson Mandela Bay’s Deputy Executive Mayor, who also serves as the Mayoral Committee Member for Public Health, Cllr Mongameli Bobani, has warned illegal waste transporters operating within Nelson Mandela Bay to adhere to municipal bylaws governing the transportation of waste, failing which they will be fined.

The Deputy Executive Mayor issued the warning following a successful operation by the NMBM Waste Management Sub-Directorate’s enforcement officers at the Walmer Arlington Tip-site today, February 21, 2017. During the operation, more than 30 waste transporters were stopped and fined for contravening different waste transportation bylaws. Fines totaling over R30 000 were issued.

The operation was mainly focused on educating operators transporting waste on the dangers of transgressing municipal bylaws governing waste transporting. Notable municipal bylaws broken by the waste transporters included failing to ensure that the transporter was of a type and design approved by the Municipality; failure to remove or convey waste in a manner that would prevent nuisances or dangers such as the contents or materials dropping from the vehicle; and failure to maintain the vehicle in a clean, sanitary and roadworthy condition.

“We would like to send a strong warning to local waste transport operators that the time for doing as they please is over. We will no longer tolerate lawlessness within waste management. Stakeholders have to work with us to bring controls for the benefit of the residents of this City. If we fail to enforce our waste management bylaws properly, it will actually mean we are not doing justice to our transfer stations and tip-sites and that we will continue to spend money that goes to waste. The operators must register themselves, so that guidelines, rules and regulations can be explained to them. The expectation is that they will adhere to these,” said the Deputy Executive Mayor.

The operation will continue to target other areas across the City, with NMBM Waste Management Enforcement Officers closely monitoring municipal tip-sites and transfer stations. The Waste Management Enforcement Officers will also intensify their monitoring in areas notorious for illegal dumping.