ELLE TREDOUX of Bonaero Park writes:
In recent weeks, I have noticed that Kempton Express has expressed considerable anger at how Ekurhuleni Metro Council is bungling the wheelie bin roll-out.
I notice that perhaps the biggest gripe from angry residents has been the huge inconvenience and high cost when they have to replace a stolen bin. Bins left standing out on the pavement all day while home-owners are away at work has invited theft.
• Wheelie bins: everything you should know
• Wheelie bin theft will be rife
The bins are the property of the council. We only pay a monthly rental fee for the bin and are charged because they collect the rubbish. Consequently, the council should be liable for any replacement charges if there was no negligence by the resident.
I am sure if the council were held responsible for the replacement costs they would not be so quick to impose such a ludicrous new system which is so disadvantageous to Kemptonians.
But there is a simple solution to this travesty. Ekurhuleni Council should take out insurance on the bins they loan to residents, so that when the eventual wave of theft occurs, they can simply lodge claims with their insurers and then redeliver a new bin to the resident at no cost to the victim.
That is how a service-orientated council in a modern democracy should operate. They should not typically make their problems our problems.
