AN order worth more than £4million has been made to replace Thurrock Council’s ageing bin lorry fleet.
Rolling out in early 2018, the 27 new bin lorries will replace existing vehicles which have been in use for 7 years and have reached the end of their life.
Four of the current vehicles will be retained and refurbished, meaning the council will have 31 vehicles in total – one extra than at present which will be kept as a back-up.
Cllr Aaron Watkins, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “I am pleased to announce that the order has been placed to replace our fleet of bin lorries.
“The ageing vehicles have caused problems with collections recently. While this may not be the silver bullet, having modern and efficient vehicles will go a long way to improving the service residents will receive.
“This much needed investment in a stronger fleet shows how we are continuing to invest in front-line environmental services including the 10 new tractors which were recently delivered.”
Finance Portfolio Holder, Cllr Shane Hebb, said: “This is a truly significant investment in front line services – the first of its kind since 2010. Bin collections are one of the services which all Thurrock residents use, and this part of the Cabinet’s plan to improve our bin collection service across the borough.
“This is in addition to the £3.5million we are investing in other vehicles and plant. Thurrock will look all the better for this investment.”
