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Skip truck drivers took their protest to the gates of the Presidential Palace on Monday, warning that recent government decisions are putting their jobs at risk and could lead to higher prices and more illegal dumping across the island.
About 30 skip trucks, the large metal bins often seen at construction sites, lined the streets outside the palace as members of the Pancyprian Association of Licensed Skip Carriers handed a memo to President Nikos Christodoulides. They’re demanding protection for their profession and urgent changes to how construction waste is handled.
“We want rules. Right now, anyone can just get a license and start collecting waste,” said Panikos Drousiotis, the head of the association. “This affects everyone; it means higher prices and more garbage on our streets.”
One recycling unit Shut down, prices shoot up
At the heart of the protest is the sudden closure of a recycling unit that handled waste from construction and demolition. The skip truck drivers say that without it, they have fewer options to dump waste legally, and the few units still operating are already charging more.
“There’s now only one unit left in Nicosia,” said Drousiotis. “Less competition means higher prices. And when prices go up, people start dumping in fields.”
He warned that if the situation continues, the public will be the one footing the bill, with some costs already tripling in certain areas.
Fear of a monopoly
The drivers say shutting down the unit has opened the door for a monopoly, where only a few big companies control the waste industry. That, they say, would not only kill off small businesses like theirs but also lead to unfair pricing.
“Monopoly means people pay dearly,” Drousiotis said. “We’ve seen this before; once there's no competition, they can charge whatever they want.”
Drivers want to keep their clients
Another major concern is a push from some recycling units to limit skip drivers to just transporting waste, cutting them off from their own customers.
“That's our bread and butter,” said Drousiotis. “If we lose our customers, the big units will take over. They can buy trucks, hire drivers, and leave us with nothing.”
Promises, but no action yet
During the protest, the drivers received a phone call from the Ministry of Agriculture asking for a meeting on August 11. While they agreed to wait until then, they said they’ve been down this road before, and they’re tired of empty promises.
“We’ve had meetings for years. Nothing happens,” said Drousiotis. “Meanwhile, garbage piles up and nobody takes responsibility.”
What they’re asking for
In the memo, the association outlined several key demands:
- Official recognition and regulation of skip truck drivers as a profession.
- A stop to moves that give too much control to a few large recycling units.
- The right to run their own small transfer stations to reduce pollution and costs.
- All skip truck licenses to go through the association for approval.
- A cap on the prices that recycling units can charge.
- An end to private financial deals between big contractors and recycling centers.
They also said the unit that was shut down was one of the most environmentally friendly, and that what’s left behind are “basically garbage cemeteries” that just bury most of the waste.
The drivers say they’re willing to work with the government, but only if real changes are made.
“If nothing comes out of this meeting, we’ll be back,” Drousiotis said. “This isn’t just about us. It’s about keeping Cyprus clean and fair for everyone.”
