Drivers mounting pavements threaten bin crew safety

Dangerous driving, including motorists mounting pavements, is threatening the safety of bin crews, a waste collection firm has said.

Oxford Direct Services (ODS), which works on behalf of Oxford City Council, said it had reported more than a dozen incidents of vehicles endangering workers to police.

It said some of the 15 incidents between March 2025 and August 2026 had resulted in fines and, in some cases, bans from driving.

The firm has now launched a new campaign, known as Driving Recklessly on Pavements (DROP), which aims to remind drivers to be patient around working refuse vehicles.

"No one should face unnecessary risks simply for doing their job," Martin Shields, the assistant director of health and safety at ODS, said.

"Keeping people safe is a shared responsibility and we need motorists to play their part."

ODS said its crews working across Oxford had reported incidents including drivers mounting pavements and trying to squeeze past trucks on the city's narrow roads.

It said the incidents put its staff in danger, as well as pedestrians and other members of the public.

As part of its new campaign, safety messages have been installed on ODS collection vehicles and uniforms.

The hi-vis clothing and signage has been designed to "humanise crews and encourage greater consideration from road users" the firm said.

Oxford City Council's citizen services and companies chief Nigel Chapman said: "The message is clear: the street is a workplace, and everyone has a role to play in protecting the people who keep Oxford's streets clean."

"A few extra seconds of waiting could prevent a serious accident," he added.