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Sentmenat fines waste collection company over 300,000 euros

The City Council initiates proceedings for serious and repeated breaches in the door-to-door service, which has led to numerous citizen complaints.

Generic image of a waste collection truck on a residential street.
IA

Generic image of a waste collection truck on a residential street.

The Sentmenat City Council has unanimously approved initiating sanctioning proceedings against the concessionaire of the door-to-door waste collection service, imposing a fine of over 300,000 euros for "serious and repeated breaches".

The waste management model in Sentmenat is under scrutiny due to ongoing incidents affecting citizens. This Monday, the City Council reported punctual disruptions and delays in collection on several streets due to a vehicle breakdown.
The governing team has brought to the May municipal plenary the initiation of sanctioning proceedings, unanimously approved, against the concessionaire of the door-to-door service. The proposed fine exceeds 300,000 euros for "serious and repeated breaches" detected in the service provision, contracted in the previous term.
Municipal sources explain that, after months of monitoring, meetings, and continuous warnings without satisfactory improvement, this decision has been made to address the numerous incidents and citizen complaints. The work has been carried out jointly with the Consorci de Residus del Consell Comarcal del Vallès Occidental and has been shared with all municipal groups. Complaints are common among residents, who lament issues with the service application and other obstacles. The proceedings cover aspects such as poor waste separation, vehicles with deficiencies, public spills, lack of incident communication, breaches in occupational safety, and repeated service deficiencies.
The contract with CESPA (currently Prezero España SA), formalized on June 28, 2021, and initiated on July 1 of the same year, has a duration of four years, extendable up to five, with a budget exceeding 2.7 million euros. This award, which included the shift from open containers to a door-to-door system, is nearing its expiration. The next tender is one of the most significant budget items and causes concern among municipal groups, some of whom criticize the executive's "inaction" regarding the service's shortcomings.
Since the contract's inception, the City Council, with the Consortium's support, has conducted thorough monitoring of the service provided by Prezero, holding periodic meetings and communications to improve operations. However, the service is still considered deficient. "The citizens of Sentmenat deserve a quality public service, and the City Council has the obligation to enforce the contract and defend the public interest," state municipal sources from the plaça de la Vila. Tension between the parties is growing amid an uncertain scenario.

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