Proper penalties for continued bin failures

Once again Serco have failed to empty our black bin on Friday, for many years the standard day for collection.

I would therefore wholeheartedly support John Walsby's comments (Viewpoint, September 24) on the imposition of financial penalties on Serco for their ongoing incompetence in failing to provide a

satisfactory service.

However I should stress that such penalties need to be both punitive and meaningful.

Mr Walsby mentions Serco's false accounting with the Ministry of Justice.

One of main concerns in my long experience as an Independent Monitor for the prison service (MOJ) was the apparent inability of the service provider to comply with strict time parameters with regard to the ferrying of prisoners to and from court.

On occasions young offenders aged 15 and 16, or even as young as 14, were delivered to prison at 8/9pm at night, sometimes as late as 10pm, having been remanded in custody by the court earlier that day and certainly before lunch.

I campaigned long and hard on this particular issue to the extent that a question was raised in the House of Lords but it made little difference.

The financial penalties were so derisory that seemingly the contractor was content to pay the fines imposed and treat the expenditure merely as an on-cost to be set against income.

Like so many I fail to understand how a most acceptable arrangement for the collection and emptying of bins has sunk to such a level. Yes, impose financial penalties by all means but no doubt Serco have 'large pockets'.

Surely a more appropriate action would be for RBWM to withdraw from the contract altogether with a view to returning to what previously was a most acceptable and satisfactory service.

GRAHAM CHAMBERLAIN Snowball Hill Maidenhead