Bin company trying to set up monopoly, says O’Dea
Mr Binman Ltd has begun High Court proceedings to prevent Limerick City Council putting out to public tender bin collections it provides to 4,000 elderly and less well off households.
Mr Binman at present holds this contract.
Mr O’Dea said the same company had fought to have the bin collection service in the city privatised.
“This company were against the public monopoly of the bin collection service. But they now want a private company monopoly. A monopoly is a monopoly. This is appalling behaviour for any private operator,” said Mr O’Dea.
He said the people of Limerick using the services of Mr Binman should take into account the behaviour of the company in trying to claim a monopoly of the part of their service paid for by Limerick City Council under a waiver scheme.
Mr O’Dea said: “This company put forward the argument for privatisation of the service in the first place. It is an appalling attitude from somebody in the private sector who allegedly supports competition, but now wants the city council’s waiver customers tied to their company. This is hypocrisy. Let Mr Binman contest the contract like everybody else.”
Mr Binman Ltd of Luddenmore, Grange, Co Limerick has been granted a temporary High Court injunction restraining the city council from entering into any contacts with any waste-collection company for the proposed new service, and preventing the council from contracting customers who have so far availed of the waiver scheme with a view to inducing them to breach their contracts with Mr Binman Ltd.
The company has 17,000 customers in the council’s area of which 4,000 get their service paid for by the city council under the waiver scheme.
Mr Binman, which employs 220, claimed in its court proceedings that the proposed contract would mean that those entitled to avail of a waiver scheme for refuse charges would only get the benefit if they used the services of which ever company Limerick City Council appointed under the tendering process. It claimed the council would likely inform the successful firm of the identities of all persons entitled to the waiver, including some 4,000 of its customers.
Mr Binman’s 40,000 customers in Limerick city and county face a €60 price hike to €380 for 2005.
A spokesman said 2004 charges were unsustainable.
