Sengkang residents may have seen a notice put up at their blocks warning residents about a delay in refuse collection.

The notice also spoke of "refuse waste accumulating in the refuse chute".

A Mothership reader spotted the notice on Jan. 10:

Speaking to Mothership, a SembWaste spokesperson revealed that the service delays were due to "exceptional" vehicle breakdowns.

However, the delays were experienced on Jan. 4 and 5, and regular service had resumed as of Jan. 6.

"SembWaste takes our commitment to offering quality service seriously and we extend our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused to residents.

The service delays in affected clusters within Sengkang on January 4 and 5 were due to exceptional vehicle breakdowns in a specific fleet of vehicles.

We managed the collection by extending operational hours to ensure minimal disruption to the residents. All issues were resolved and regular service has resumed across all clusters as of January 6."

SKTC in conversation with NEA and SembWaste on the matter

Mothership also contacted Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) on Jan. 12 for a response, enquiring about the notices that were still left up.

A spokesperson for Sengkang Town Council said on Jan. 18 that the delay in the refuse waste collection was due to a lapse in service by SembWaste, the NEA-appointed waste collector.

The delay affected a number of blocks in Anchorvale, but regular waste collection resumed on Jan. 5, and the notices informing the residents were removed on Jan. 13.

SKTC is in conversation with both NEA and SembWaste to investigate the cause or causes of the lapse in service, and will release an update on the matter.

He added:

"Although the delay was due to service lapses by the publicly-appointed contractor and not those overseen by the town council, SKTC acknowledges that our affected residents were nevertheless inconvenienced as a result.

We have extended our apologies to them, and will work to ensure that such an issue does not recur."

Top image from a Mothership contributor.