Refuse plan could lead to catastrophe

I WAS appalled at the recent news story that Gwynedd council is proposing one-man-operated bin collections, and in fact is already using these in some areas, and that the idea may be under consideration by other local authorities.

In 2014 a bin lorry in Glasgow ran amok, in that case with an incapacitated driver still at the wheel, and six people died and a further 15 were injured.

The system outlined involves the driver leaving the cab while the engine is running and then gathering up bins to manually load them at the rear of the vehicle.

The potential for catastrophe in this cannot be over-emphasised. Several possible scenarios come to mind, such a faulty or improperly applied handbrake, the vehicle slipping into gear or drive, or a child climbing into the unattended cab and playing with controls. Even if the engine was turned off at each stop the system would be undesirable as constant stopping and starting an engine has serious environmental implications.

I would not want to live in Gwynedd with this hazard on the roads, and do not want to see it introduced in my own community.

I feel so worried about the possibility that this “system” may cause death or serious injury to the public that I am about to report my concerns directly to the Health and Safety Executive. Ian McNicholas Ebbw Vale