KL transfer station operator says collection concessionaire’s off-peak delivery hours reason for mounting heaps of rubbish
THE operator of Kuala Lumpur Transfer Station (KLTS) has urged waste collection concessionaire Alam Flora Sdn Bhd to adjust its delivery schedule to resolve persistent rubbish backlog at its facility.
KLTS, situated along Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), compacts municipal solid waste gathered across Kuala Lumpur before transporting it to Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill in Selangor.
Bumi Segar Indah Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Tim Ng blamed the operational bottlenecks on off-peak rubbish deliveries.
“Alam Flora often sends in rubbish between midnight and 5am, when the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill is closed.
“That leaves about 800 tonnes of rubbish stuck at KLTS,” he said during a press conference there.
Ng said while the facility could hold 600 tonnes indoors, the remaining 200 tonnes must be kept outside pending processing.
With Alam Flora delivering an additional 200 tonnes the following morning, he said, outdoor waste piles regularly reached 400 tonnes.
The Bukit Tagar landfill closes at 11pm on weekdays and 7pm on weekends.
“I believe if we have a coordinated schedule, we will have enough time to process and transport the rubbish to Bukit Tagar before the next batch arrives,” Ng said.
At full capacity, KLTS can handle between 2,800 and 3,000 tonnes of waste daily.
However, to mitigate the recurring backlog, more than half of Kuala Lumpur’s collected waste has been diverted directly to Bukit Tagar since Aug 9.
Ng said Bumi Segar Indah proposed a revised delivery timetable to Alam Flora two months ago, but the concessionaire rejected the plan.
“A proper schedule is also important to prevent the rubbish lorries from queuing at KLTS for hours,” said Ng.
“The ideal plan is to have only about 20 to 30 lorries arriving every hour, but now, we sometimes see about 200 lorries arriving in an hour.”
He said Alam Flora had cited difficulties with its own collection timelines as the reason for the delays.
Maintenance issues have further compounded delays at the transfer station.
Six of the facility’s 12 waste compactors are currently out of service for repairs, though Ng expects all 12 to be operational by the end of the month.
“These compactors have been working 24/7.
“I believe with a proper schedule, we can allow some downtime to reduce the risk of breakdowns, which will improve the efficiency of rubbish processing,” he added.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng, who attended the press conference alongside officials from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), said the backlog was unacceptable.
He urged the Federal Government to explore constructing a waste-to-energy incinerator nearby to manage long-term volume.
“Malaysians are generally against incinerators due to pollution concerns,” Lim said.
“However, in countries like Singapore, incinerators are built near cities.
“I believe modern technologies can mitigate pollution risks,” Lim added.
When contacted, a Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Manage-ment Corporation (SWCorp) representative confirmed that waste diversions directly to Bukit Tagar would remain in place until Sept 13.
“The Housing and Local Government Ministry has also issued a notice to Bumi Segar Indah, ordering it to resolve the rubbish backlog and repair its machinery by Sept 30.
“If this is not complied with, the ministry will terminate its contract in October,” said the representative.
SWCorp did not respond to further requests for comment by press time.
StarMetro has published several reports on the rubbish backlog at the transfer station, which had disrupted collection schedules and seen rubbish piling up in several parts of Kuala Lumpur, particularly in Kepong and Jinjang.
