Eight-hour queues at KL solid waste transfer station derail collection schedules
A bottleneck at the Kuala Lumpur Solid Waste Transfer Station along Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) has thrown rubbish collection schedules across the city into disarray.
Lorries are having to queue for up to eight hours to unload.
This has led to residents in several neighbourhoods being left without warning when collections are missed or rescheduled.
A StarMetro visit to the station found a long line of waste collection lorries at a standstill outside the guardhouse, with drivers waiting to unload.
Some slept inside their vehicles, while others watched films or played games on their phones to pass the time.
Driver M. Pandian said he had been waiting for three hours, while Azhar Mokhtar, Mohd Jalil and Bustaman Ismail had each spent about four hours in the queue.
“We are tired. But this is ourjob. So, we wait,” said Bustaman.
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Drivers said waiting times generally stretched between four and five hours, although some have been stranded for as long as eight.
The delays have prevented many lorries from completing their second collection round, disrupting schedules across the city.
An Alam Flora officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some waste contractors had initially been directed to bypass the transfer station and transport rubbish directly to the Bukit Tagar landfill, about 60km away.
However, from Aug 1, the contractors were instructed to resume unloading at the Kuala Lumpur transfer station.
“The waiting time is very long and the drivers are exhausted.
“This affects their productivity and makes it difficult for them to complete the second trip,” the officer said.
Backup in-house lorries had been deployed to clear delayed rounds, but the company was still unable to complete all scheduled collections.
Unhappy residents
Community activist Yee Poh Ping said some of the waste transfer station lorries needed repairs and the equipment were faulty.
Upon receiving complaints from Kepong residents on rubbish not being cleared according to schedule, he said he checked the matter with the authorities.
Yee urged the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) to ensure the faulty equipment are repaired fast.
The disruption has rippled out to residents in Kepong, Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Kelang Lama and Brickfields, who say the consistent collection routines have become unreliable now, leaving many unable to put out their household waste in time.
Taman Bukit Indah resident Sharon Li said her neighbourhood’s usual Saturday collection was carried out a day early.
“I happened to be outside when the lorry arrived and asked the collector, ‘How come you are here today? You are supposed to come tomorrow morning.’
“He told me, ‘Ada masalah besar, aunty’ (There is a big problem),” she said.
In Brickfields, residents have complained about overflowing bins and maggots due to the uncollected rubbish.
Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu said the town was a busy commercial centre with large amounts of rubbish generated daily, particularly by food and retail businesses.
“Our community WhatsApp group, is inundated with complaints every day.
“People are constantly posting photographs of uncollected rubbish and overflowing bins.
“We hope the authorities will act urgently or, at the very least, explain to residents and business owners what is causing the disruption and what is being done to resolve it,” he added.
Taman Bamboo resident Suzana Ahmad, whose bulk waste in her neighbourhood has not been collected, said similar complaints have been received from residents along Jalan Kelang Lama, Taman Gembira and Kuchai Lama.
Situation at hand
Alam Flora, appointed by Solid Waste Corporation and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), is the prime mover responsible for collecting rubbish across Kuala Lumpur and transporting it to the waste transfer station.
The KPKT-owned transfer station has been operating since April 2002.
Its operations are managed by an appointed contractor, Bumi Segar Indah Sdn Bhd, which is overseen by SWCorp.
At the transfer station, rubbish is compacted before Bumi Segar Indah lorries haul it to the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill in Hulu Selangor.
When the transfer station encounters problems, Alam Flora’s collection lorries may be directed to bypass it and travel directly to Bukit Tagar, about 60km away.
The longer journey has led to delays in collection rounds across the city.
The station’s previous contractor was terminated in 2013 following operational failures that left rubbish piling up along the MRR2.
Alam Flora Environmental Solutions subsequently operated the facility until June 2023, when Bumi Segar Indah took over.
The station faced another crisis in January after damaged equipment and a year-end surge in waste left more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish piled up on Dec 31, 2025, as reported in StarMetro on Jan 30.
In November 2025, the Road Transport Department seized 14 Bumi Segar Indah tipper lorries over permit issues, thus reducing its hauling capacity.
The backlog was cleared only after SWCorp and the National Solid Waste Management Department ordered Alam Flora lorries to bypass the station and travel directly to Bukit Tagar from Jan 11.
SWCorp deputy chief executive officer (management) Syahrul Nizam Saleh said the operator was experiencing problems with several vehicles used to transport compacted waste from the transfer station to the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill.
“This has caused waste to accumulate at the transfer station, resulting in Alam Flora collection lorries being held up in long queues,” he said, adding that a similar problem occurred in July.
To ease the congestion, SWCorp temporarily diverted about half of the collection lorries directly to Bukit Tagar.
This reduced pressure on the transfer station and gave them time to carry out maintenance on its haulage fleet.
“Once the situation improved, the lorries resumed using the transfer station. However, the backlog has recurred as the operator continues to face problems with its vehicles.
“SWCorp is monitoring the situation. If necessary, we will divert some collection lorries directly to Bukit Tagar,” he said promising to work with the operator and Alam Flora to restore services “as quickly as possible”.
On action against the waste transfer station operator, Syahrul said contractual matters fell under the ministry’s purview.
The agreement contained clauses allowing action to be taken against the operator for non-performance.
