Driver shortage hits Wellington’s rubbish and recyling collections

Glass recycling collections in Wellington may be delayed. Photo / File

The company that collects Wellington City’s rubbish and recycling is operating with half the number of truck drivers it needs.

Wellington City Council has warned residents that kerbside rubbish, recycling and glass collections may take longer than usual.

The council’s contractor, EnviroWaste, is down 13 drivers due to resignations and sickness.

The company usually has 27 drivers out on the beat.

A council spokesperson said EnviroWaste management and drivers were doing everything they could to address this situation.

“Similar to the national bus driver shortage, EnviroWaste are experiencing challenges attracting and retaining these drivers.”

The remaining drivers have been working long hours this week to compensate for the lack of staff.

However, residents have been advised that if their rubbish and recycling is not collected on the day it should be, they should leave it out and it will be collected the following day.

It comes as the city’s commuters have been crammed into buses, or worse, left on the street, while Wellington continues to struggle with a bus driver shortage.

The region is about 125 drivers short.

Most Wellington City and Porirua buses have been running to a Saturday timetable this month to allow for holiday leave and make time for vital recruitment and training during a time when patronage is generally low.

But as people returned to work from their summer holidays, chaos ensued.

The council was forced to call in extra buses earlier than planned to help ease the mounting pressure on the network. This appears to have eased the situation, for now.

Timetables will go back to normal next week, although some 200 services have been temporarily suspended from this schedule.

Both local government and central government have moved to increase bus driver wages, which is expected to lift pay rates in Wellington to $30 an hour this year.

Immigration Minister Michael Wood has also announced bus and truck drivers will now be able to access a time-limited, two-year residence pathway.