Thank you to Torbay residents for your ongoing patience - we are pleased to announce that SWISCo has been successful in recruiting some more drivers, with the first one due to start next week. Several more are being recruited through agency and it is hoped they will also be able to start soon.

In addition, we are working to build our driver capacity by providing training for staff who are not currently LGV drivers to take their test and qualify. We are also in the process of developing a new Driver Academy for training new drivers.

SWISCo supervisors are also currently driving vehicles where appropriate to help relieve some of the delays. As well as this, other supervisors are applying to take the test to become LGV drivers, which will help provide more resilience.

There will also be a new smaller recycling vehicle in service by October, which does not require an LGV driver and will assist collections in roads with narrow access.

Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Culture said: “We once again apologise to local residents for ongoing delays to recycling collections caused by the national shortage of drivers but wanted to reassure you all that we are on the case addressing the issue and we should have new drivers in very soon, so this should vastly improve the local situation.”

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