Sienkevych called for action to be taken against caretakers who create unauthorised rubbish dumps in courtyards

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych has ordered action to be taken against caretakers who set up unauthorised rubbish dumps. Photo: NikVesti

Residents of Mykolaiv continue to leave rubbish in bags along Tsentralnyi Avenue, whilst street cleaners employed by management companies are setting up unauthorised rubbish dumps in courtyards. Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych has ordered action to be taken: first, to explain the rules to people, and if they continue to break them, to fine them.

This was announced during a staff meeting at the city hall on 12 May, according to NikVesti.

During the meeting, the elimination of unauthorised rubbish dumps was discussed. In the Zavodskyi, Inhulskyi and Tsentralnyi districts, this is now being handled by the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivkomuntrans» instead of the district administrations.

Andrii Vetsalo, director of «Mykolaivkomtrans», noted that the pace of clearing the rubbish dumps is increasing.

«There are places we will need to clean up that are hard to access and haven’t been cleaned for years — certain outskirts of the city. We still need to sort this out. But as for the unauthorised rubbish dumps themselves, the pace has already picked up. Fourteen dump truck routes operate in the city every day,» said Andrii Vetsalo.

The mayor advised «Mykolaivkomuntrans» to work with district administrations to address situations where residents create unauthorised rubbish dumps in their courtyards.

«The thing is, I drive around the city, through the courtyards: I pop in to have a look, sometimes by car, sometimes on a motorbike. I see that people—actually, employees, the caretakers of management companies—are sometimes the ones organising these unauthorised rubbish dumps. So, if your staff working in apartment blocks or courtyards see that a rubbish dump of cut branches or something else is starting to form systematically, pass this information on to the district authorities. Let them deal with the issue of fines,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych to the director of «Mykolaivkomuntrans».

In addition, the mayor drew attention to the fact that management companies are placing bags of rubbish on Tsentralnyi Avenue.

«Is this the way management companies put rubbish in bags on Tsentralnyi Avenue? Why is this? For the convenience of collection? Meanwhile, people drive past and see this mess,» said the mayor.

Regarding the bags on Tsentralnyi Avenue, he also added that residents are also putting rubbish out along the avenue.

«Another issue that concerns me is the areas on Tsentralnyi Avenue where people still take out rubbish in bags and pile it up. This applies to our single-storey housing in the area from Kherson Highway to 6th Slobidska Street and from the Arkasivske (Pushkinske) roundabout to Riumina Street. Perhaps we need to work with the people, install bins — think about it. Because it looks very disgraceful, as they say, when they put out that bag and it sits there for two days. Certainly not on Central Avenue,» the mayor noted.

He instructed «Mykolaivkomuntrans» to address these two issues — with the street cleaners and with the residents — and added that they should not impose fines straight away, but first explain the rules and indicate where to put the rubbish, or install bins.

«First, have a proper, civilised chat and explain the rules. If they don’t respond, because it suits them, they’ll have to weigh up their convenience against the financial costs,» noted the mayor.

It was previously reported that Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych believes that residents who create unauthorised dumps of construction waste within the city should face penalties, and he urged witnesses to such incidents to call the police.