Galway City Council's bin lorries repossessed by leasing company

Iwannahurl

According to the lead story in today's City Tribune, Galway City Council's eight bin lorries were repossessed by Holden Plant Hire when the leasing contract expired, allegedly after the Council ignored repeated warnings that the service would be withdrawn.

Council left red faced as bin trucks repossessed

City Council officials were left red-faced this week when their fleet of eight bin trucks were repossessed by a leasing company – after the local authority ignored repeated warnings that the service would be withdrawn.

The Galway City Tribune has learned that Paul Holden of Holden Plant Hire in Kilkenny gave several warnings to Council officials after their leasing contract expired last September.

The local authority is refusing to comment on the latest debacle, which saw the city’s bin collection service disrupted this week, but issued a statement to say normal service will resume from next week.

“Galway City Council wishes to advise that due to unforeseen operational conditions, there may be interruption to brown bin collections for the remainder of this week. Galway City Council apologises for the inconvenience caused,” the statement reads.

Walsh Waste is providing ‘emergency’ cover for the Council until a new contract is in put in place next week.

Holden Plant Hire said this week they gave advance warning to the Council that the eight trucks would be repossessed if they were not given a decision on a tendering process for a new contract for waste collection in the city.

The owner of Holden said the dramatic move was not a “bolt out of the blue” to Council officials and he could not understand the way officials were managing the situation.

On Tuesday, staff from Holden removed their trucks from the Council yard on Sandy Road, after repeated failed attempts to garner information on the new contract for the provision of refuse trucks.

The Galway City Tribune has learned that the contract with Holden expired in September, and the Council then invited tenders for a new contract with a closing date on November 19.

Despite numerous requests by Holden for a decision on the awarding of the contract in recent days, information was not forthcoming, and the Council was given a deadline by Holden of midday on Tuesday.

Managing Director Paul Holden told the Galway City Tribune: “They’ve had ample notice. It’s the way they dealt with it. I don’t know what’s going on in there [the Council]. We have made alternative plans for the trucks,” said Mr Holden.

Fine Gael councillor Padraig Conneely branded the matter “incompetence on top of incompetence”.

There is one obvious thing wrong with the above headline, and that is the suggestion that any official in the City Council might be "red faced".

Cue letter in next week's Tribune from the acting city manager explaining exactly why their visages retain their normal hue.

Mrs OBumble

Ahh the joys of commercial negotiations played out large in the media.

I know no facts about the case.

But I'd assume the tenders were too high, the council was trying bring them down, and one player has someone else who is prepared to pay the price he's asking. So he was able to take action that puts the other bidders in a stonger position.

No cause for anyone to be embarassed, really.

serfboard

Galway City Tribune wrote:

Despite numerous requests by Holden for a decision on the awarding of the contract in recent days, information was not forthcoming, and the Council was given a deadline by Holden of midday on Tuesday.

...“ We have made alternative plans for the trucks,” said Mr Holden.

If they had "made alternative plans for the trucks" how were they in a position to tender, so?

serfboard

serfboard wrote: »

If they had "made alternative plans for the trucks" how were they in a position to tender, so?

I read that as - when they didn't get a response on the tender - they made other plans for their trucks.

I saw the trucks lined up in the Liosban estate on Tuesday or Wednesday evening and wondered why they weren't parked in the council yard.