A Fife woman has described scenes of “madness” at Dalgety Bay recycling centre, with drivers who haven’t booked forced to reverse onto a busy main road.
Fife Council introduced a booking system on Monday after three incidents at the west Fife site.
However, the woman said many people were unaware of the new rule.
And she branded the action being taken by staff at the centre gates “an accident waiting to happen”.
She said: “They are making people reverse out onto the main road despite the centre being empty.
“There is a bend and hill approaching the entrance where cars are reversing.
“The staff are normally nowhere to be seen but there are two manning the barrier and one patrolling the very empty bays now.”
Booking ‘would not have prevented accidents’
Cireco, which manages Fife’s recycling centres, said booking had become necessary due to traffic congestion outside at busy times and for health and safety reasons.
Incidents this year include a member of the public tripping over a pavement and another tripping over their own rubbish.
A third saw a member of staff hit by a driver trying to reverse into a parking bay.
However, Dalgety Bay councillor David Barratt said none of those would have been prevented by a booking system.
He said: “They’re now forcing people to reverse, even when the site is completely empty.
“I suggested several alternatives to them but was told it’s simply not appropriate for councillors to get involved in this.”
Motion to scrutinise Dalgety Bay booking decision
The SNP councillor’s suggestions included opening the centre at lunchtimes and on a Friday.
“Or you could have a booking only at weekends rather than during the week when the site is dead,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable that councillors should have a say on this.”
Mr Barratt is now preparing a motion to come to the council’s cabinet committee on August 15.
It will request scrutiny of the booking system decision and for clarification of the decision to look into providing pedestrian access at centres across Fife.
Cireco announced the new Dalgety Bay measures on July 23.
At the time, chief executive Robin Baird said: “This small recycling centre has a high volume of traffic which often causes heavy congestion.
“A number of incidents in recent months means the booking measures already in place at Cupar and Ladybank recycling centres now also need to be introduced in Dalgety Bay.”
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