Faulty garbage bag dispensers anger Northern residents

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The malfunctioning or out-of-order status of more than half of the five bag dispensing machines in the Northern Municipality has sparked frustration among residents and lawmakers over the system’s effectiveness.

Adding to the problem is a severely understaffed distribution team, consisting of just two employees assigned to manage one of the Kingdom’s most densely populated areas.

Outsource contract

Abdullah Al Qubaisi, a member of the North Area Municipal Council, has highlighted the urgent need for more efficient management by proposing that garbage bag distribution be included in the new cleaning contract with the relevant company.

He confirms having received numerous complaints from residents regarding empty or faulty bag dispensers.

Other lawmakers have also reported similar complaints. Al Qubaisi has called on municipalities to take immediate action, urging them to install additional machines or repair existing ones in municipal buildings.

He also emphasised the strain on current distribution staff, who are burdened with both data entry and bag distribution tasks.

In response to the shortage of available bags, Al Qubaisi suggested that authorities retroactively provide three bag packages per person to simplify the process and reduce inconvenience for residents.

Inadequate infrastructure

Highlighting the inadequacy of the current infrastructure, Al Qubaisi criticised the distribution process that forces citizens to endure long queues at municipal headquarters, especially harsh during hot weather when waiting times can stretch from 8 am to 12 pm.

He pointed out that the five machines in the Northern Governorate, each capable of holding only 100 bag packages, are insufficient to serve the region with the highest population density in the country.

Overall, Al Qubaisi stressed the need for immediate improvements to address these pressing issues, advocating for a more robust and responsive system to efficiently meet the needs of Northern Municipality residents.