HGV drivers offered £1,500 to join rubbish collections in Buckinghamshire amid staff shortage

HGV driver - Meridian
The decrease in trained HGV drivers is said to be due to Brexit and the pandemic Credit: ITV Meridian

HGV drivers in Buckinghamshire have been offered £1,500 to join rubbish collection rounds in the county. 

Waste collection services in Chiltern and Wycombe were among those impacted in recent weeks by the national shortage of drivers.

The decrease in trained drivers is thought to be due to Brexit, the pandemic and a testing backlog.

It is hoped the boost will fill the local staffing gap and maintain waste collections in the area.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) predicted a shortage of about 60,000 drivers pre-pandemic, which is now estimated to be over 100,000 across the UK.

Waste collection services in Chiltern and Wycombe were among those impacted Credit: ITV Meridian

Councillor Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment said: "Buckinghamshire, like everywhere, is suffering the knock on effects of the HGV driver shortages so we have made some local changes in Chiltern and Wycombe areas to make sure our residents still get their waste collected while work continues to address the staff shortages."

Beth Whittaker, Chief Human Resources Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland, said: "We hope the incentive will encourage drivers to consider working with us. Our teams are doing something that matters to communities and delivering a service that makes a real difference for the environment every day."