http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Ever had a problem with bin lorries? en Thu, 21 May 2026 20:01:29 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237724 Wed, 30 Nov 2016 10:34:29 +0000 chdot 237724@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>SRD you are not alone!</p> <p>See third post on this thread -</p> <p><a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229691" rel="nofollow">http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229691</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237723 Wed, 30 Nov 2016 10:30:19 +0000 chdot 237723@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>@CyclingEdin Good morning. This has been passed to the local depot manager and a full investigation is currently underway. Kind regards</p> <p>9:07 am · 30 Nov 2016</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/biffaservice/status/803888260770656256" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/biffaservice/status/803888260770656256</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237572 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 17:45:38 +0000 chdot 237572@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>BiffaService (@BiffaService)<br /> 28/11/2016, 16:30<br /> @CyclingEdin Hi, thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is now being investigate as an absolute priority. Many thanks,</p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237569 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:32:16 +0000 chdot 237569@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>Cycling Edinburgh (@CyclingEdin)<br /> 28/11/2016, 14:30<br /> @BiffaService if this is one of yours, would you like to comment? (And investigate?)</p> <p>citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.…</p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237566 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:04:30 +0000 Frenchy 237566@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I suppose it must be a private contractor and no point in trying to report it to anyone? </em></p> <p>One way to find out ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-237563 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:50:59 +0000 SRD 237563@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>not sure whether to put this in 'rubbish driving' or here...</p> <p>Had a terrifying encounter with a 'Biffa' lorry PN63 VUU today. I was heading up Lauriston Place, through junction with Chalmers St just before 1pm. As I passed Keir St, a lorry heading in the direction of Tollcross veered across the street at top speed towards me. It then pulled some sort of turning maneuvre so that it turned across the junction so that it was briefly heading down Chalmer st,, blocking everything and then began reversing into Keir St. All done at top speed - no doubt because of all the traffic they were blocking, but bloody terrifying for anyone on foot or bike. </p> <p>When you think of the numbers of school kids, and visually impaired/elderly folk who use those streets, it seems even more reckless. </p> <p>I suppose it must be a private contractor and no point in trying to report it to anyone? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-234641 Wed, 26 Oct 2016 09:48:56 +0000 wingpig 234641@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was up at the transport museum in Dundee last week and there was a old (mid-20th-century-looking) truck there which had an extra window at knee-height in front of the cab door, presumably for avoiding the huge masses of cyclists who had yet to achieve their aspirations of car ownership at the time. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-234638 Wed, 26 Oct 2016 08:56:44 +0000 chdot 234638@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>So the existing 7.5 tonne vehicles will be replaced with hired 10 tonne vehicles as an interim solution pending the arrival of new 12 tonne vehicles in May next year.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/council-draws-up-65-point-action-plan-to-clean-up-city-streets-1-4269444" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/council-draws-up-65-point-action-plan-to-clean-up-city-streets-1-4269444</a></p> <p>Presume CEC has ordered ones with 'best' cab visibility, cameras etc(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-233198 Thu, 06 Oct 2016 14:59:41 +0000 crowriver 233198@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yeah, looks a bit scary! At least there are no guardrails adjacent to the road for the cyclist to be crushed against... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-233196 Thu, 06 Oct 2016 14:50:18 +0000 Frenchy 233196@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Passenger looks nice and safe too. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-233187 Thu, 06 Oct 2016 14:00:15 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 233187@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-37573976" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-37573976</a></p> <p>Not quite sure what is going on with the photo on this article - either an demonstration of (a) the long-held and cherished tradition of bin lorry drivers trying to murder cyclists, or (b) the vehicle's blind spots. Hopefully the latter. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-233153 Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:06:21 +0000 chdot 233153@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/council-ends-practice-that-allowed-bin-men-to-finish-shift-early-1-4250473" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/council-ends-practice-that-allowed-bin-men-to-finish-shift-early-1-4250473</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-231501 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 07:09:41 +0000 gembo 231501@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Just spilt my coffee all over the ledge I prop it on (white with wee white wall underneath) reading that piece. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-231494 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 22:53:07 +0000 chdot 231494@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>Unite has told Edinburgh Council bosses to stop attacking the city’s refuse workers, blasting "savage cuts" inflicted on staff in recent years. </p> <p>The union is meeting with council mangers today to present research showing that the council’s environmental service is underfunded to the tune of about £17 million. </p> <p>And they will demand that council members stop "scapegoating workers" for the effects of massive council cuts.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/union-blasts-council-over-bin-collection-cuts-1-4236276" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/union-blasts-council-over-bin-collection-cuts-1-4236276</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230922 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 09:41:45 +0000 chdot 230922@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/bid-to-put-end-to-edinburgh-bin-men-s-early-finishes-1-4231938" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/bid-to-put-end-to-edinburgh-bin-men-s-early-finishes-1-4231938</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230312 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 03:06:23 +0000 Klaxon 230312@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There's a point where you need to test the water for the balance of compliance vs enforcement. Looks like we found the line... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230309 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 01:04:43 +0000 jdanielp 230309@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ok, but why didn't they set up a team of enforcers when they introducted these restrictions in the first place? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230297 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:49:31 +0000 chdot 230297@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>CRACK team of council enforcers has been set up in an attempt to combat the scourge of illegal waste dumping by businesses. </p> <p>Five specialist wardens and a team leader will inspect shops and dish out £200 fines to those caught chucking their rubbish on the street.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-council-team-to-fight-fly-tipping-by-businesses-1-4226134" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-council-team-to-fight-fly-tipping-by-businesses-1-4226134</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230179 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:56:34 +0000 chdot 230179@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>The most basic of services, though, is surely the collection of waste. The decanting of our detritus. The emptying of our bins. What could be more straightforward than the regular collection of a wheelie bin, placed in the correct position at the back end of a bin lorry so that it is raised aloft, turned upside down and emptied into the yawning chasm of refuse below? Then it should be replaced on the ground and wheeled back to its original position. Simple. </p> <p>And yet in Edinburgh it seems to be far from straightforward. Complaints about bin collections have soared - between July last year and this there was a complaint every ten minutes, day and night on average - the council’s Twitter feed is full of photos of overflowing communal bins which seem to have lain unemptied for weeks, with litter surrounding them on the ground like rotting confetti.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/gina-davidson-coalition-can-expect-a-rubbish-election-result-1-4224827" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/gina-davidson-coalition-can-expect-a-rubbish-election-result-1-4224827</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230176 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:31:12 +0000 jdanielp 230176@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One of the bin lorries that comes to Heriot-Watt is quite terrifying. It is a full size lorry operated entirely by the driver from the cab. Various bins are dotted around the campus, usually on the far side of pavements, which the lorry picks up by lowering a two-pronged lifting arm, driving straight up to the bin to insert the prongs and then levering the bin over the back of the cab to empty the rubbish into the compactor from the top. The massive bin is then deposited back onto the ground and the driver reverses away. I'm glad not to see these lorries in town. It is something along the lines of the following model:<br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_truck#/media/File:Scaniafrontloader.JPG" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_truck#/media/File:Scaniafrontloader.JPG</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230155 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:59:50 +0000 chdot 230155@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>Over the past 24 hours we have been inundated with snaps showing the shocking extent of the problem, from litter-strewn pavements to bursting bags piled high beside communal bins. </p> <p>Councillor Lesley Hinds, the city’s environment leader, said she would act on images brought to her attention – and “look to see what action can be taken to ensure it does not happen again”.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/council-vows-to-take-action-on-rubbish-following-evening-news-pledge-1-4224498" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/council-vows-to-take-action-on-rubbish-following-evening-news-pledge-1-4224498</a></p> <p>"</p> <p>and “look to see what action can be taken to ensure it does not happen again”.</p> <p>"</p> <p>Well yes, obviously she's said similar many times.</p> <p>As has been pointed out up thread, a real problem is 'behaviour' - probably more of the public than the CEC workers.</p> <p>Obviously it ought to be possible for the bin people to do their routes without forgetting a bin or leaving mess.</p> <p>There used to be a system where another vehicle and more people followed the bin lorry to deal with spillages. - obviously not cheap.</p> <p>Clearly the 'balance' between buying/discarding too much stuff/filling the bins 'properly'/ emptying before they are too full (recycling bins too) is not being achieved - but it's not simple. Apart from 'more rubbish after Christmas' there is obviously a lot of randomness to when extra/large amounts of unwanted things appear in any particular street.</p> <p>LAs are under all sorts of pressure - not least because of the council tax freeze. On the face of it the refuse collection system needs improving, and educating the public is hard going.</p> <p>It might well be that more money needs to be put into 'cleansing' (as it used to be called).</p> <p>So, cuts somewhere or higher Council Tax?</p> <p>Perhaps LH and AB are leaving politics because of refuse grief not cycling grief! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824&page=2#post-230128 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:15:27 +0000 crowriver 230128@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Haven't the council started charging for every 'special uplift' now, whereas you used to get a couple of uplifts for free each year?"</p> <p>Indeed, that started years ago. £15 I think. Must confess I haven't used the special uplift service since they started charging.</p> <p>I must say though, that anything half decent that gets put out in our street soon disappears. There's a kind of informal re-use/recycling system going on, and most residents seem to understand that, as do various 'characters' in beaten up old vans who trawl the streets, rake in skips, bins, etc. for anything they can salvage for scrap or re-sale. So it's not all bad... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-230124 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:59:23 +0000 Snowy 230124@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Haven't the council started charging for every 'special uplift' now, whereas you used to get a couple of uplifts for free each year? I suspect that's led to a lot of stuff being lugged as far as the nearest communal black bin and heaved in. A lot of it probably otherwise recyclable, too.</p> <p>Sadly in our street the packaging recycling bins are overflowing about every 2nd day. Bottle bank seems ok though. I must be drinking less. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-230120 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:44:17 +0000 crowriver 230120@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Klaxon, I think it is just that folk throw away a lot more stuff than they used to. Generally, as a society, we consume more goods, those goods have a lot of packaging. Some folk in tenements absolutely refuse to recycle stuff like paper, cardboard, packaging, glass or food waste, all of which have specific recycling bins. If all that stuff (plus building waste, etc.) ends up in the communal black bins, they get full really quickly. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-230112 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:27:38 +0000 Klaxon 230112@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Theory about the current state:</p> <p>In the past, the large on street bins have been 'overcollected' compared to the expected volume of <em>household</em> waste. This has lead to people becoming accustomed to being able to dump small furniture and construction waste in them, and even if they fill up it's gone quite quickly. </p> <p><strong>So</strong>, if collections have dropped and large bins are now being collected in the same <em>volume per household per week</em> as wheelie bins which are really quite tiny, it would explain why all of a sudden they're exploding over the street everywhere.</p> <p>That still doesn't justify the 3 mattresses, chest of drawers and suoer-jumbo pram I counted walking up Easter Rd from the links this afternoon. That stuff never would have fitted anyway. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-230074 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 13:38:49 +0000 chdot 230074@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/the-evening-news-backs-capital-clean-up-with-bin-watch-campaign-1-4223643" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/the-evening-news-backs-capital-clean-up-with-bin-watch-campaign-1-4223643</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229935 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:02:50 +0000 chdot 229935@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/council-bosses-urged-to-make-secret-bin-memo-public-1-4222545" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/council-bosses-urged-to-make-secret-bin-memo-public-1-4222545</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229889 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 13:46:17 +0000 cc 229889@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Someone suggested that a bin lorry should have a banksman when reversing. That doesn't always help. (A <em>competent</em> banksman, on the other hand...)</p> <p>I had a bin lorry reverse at me on a narrow street in Marchmont. There was a banksman, telling the driver that it was safe to reverse. The banksman saw me (glared at me) but just kept telling the driver to reverse. Right at me. Quite deliberately. I don't know whether or not he really wanted to kill me, but that was the impression he gave. When I asked what was going on I got an instant furious tirade of swearing yelled at me at top volume. Like pulling the cork out of a big bottle of permanent anger. From the few non-sweary words I gathered that I had been expected to (a) use my psychic powers to predict how far along the road the lorry would want to reverse, (b) magically vanish at his convenience, and anyway (c) at all times cycle in the gutter, which was full of parked cars at the time.<br /> I could have avoided all this by cycling down a wee gap at the side of the bin lorry, if the gap hadn't been blocked by the banksman. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229865 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 11:25:00 +0000 kaputnik 229865@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>- I expect they would also tip their caps with a "good day to you sir" while they were at it</em></p> <p>If my recollection of the song is anything to go by, 1950s binmen would give you a "punch up the froat" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16824#post-229847 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 09:45:14 +0000 algo 229847@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Recently I have had the distinct impression some of the (presumably) subcontracted recycling collections are on some form of work to rule. Our garden bin never gets collected unless you report it as a missed collection, and when you do the other bins on the same bit of street are ignored. </p> <p>(End of irrelevant comment) </p>