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November 24, (THEWILL) – Nigel Carter, a 64-year-old man, who tried to send 500 bikes to help Sudanese who need access to cheap transport, has been refused at a Scottish port after they were classed as waste.
According to BBC, the bikes were shipped in a container to a Scottish port, where it was stopped for an inspection by officials of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
SEPA said the bikes could not leave the country as an inspector had deemed them unfit for purpose because some of them needed repairs. The container was returned to Mr Carter’s base at Cultybraggan Camp in Comrie, Perthshire.
SEPA Waste Manager, Gary Walker said some of the bikes needed repairs before they could be reused. Noting that the repairs necessary to the bikes meant they were considered waste, Walker insisted he had a duty to ensure that Scotland’s waste was not simply dumped in another country.
Lamenting the situation, Carter told BBC Scotland’s Drivetime on Thursday that he had gathered the bikes from Scottish recycling centres to offer to Scottish charities – and those not taken were given to a charity in Sudan.
Accusing SEPA of ‘box-ticking bureaucracy’, Carter said he did not think there was a set standard that the bicycles were marked against and the inspector’s decision was arbitrary.
“It’s as whimsical as if someone were to have a bad day, they could refuse the container”, he said.
Mr Carter however notes that the repairs raised by SEPA were only minor and easily fixed, including oil on chains, rusted frames, and broken brake cables. He argued that these repairs would be more cost-effective if carried out in Sudan rather than in Scotland.
“The Sudanese charity receiving the bikes had picked them out and were happy with their condition. The bikes were also approved by qualified bicycle mechanics. The bikes would have been used across Sudan for children to get to school or to help people run their businesses”, Carter told the BBC.
Mr. Carter said the bikes will now most likely be scrapped or taken back to the recycling centre, where they were picked from.
Responding to BBC’s inquiry, SEPA said it contacted Mr Carter about the bicycle repairs before shipment and they were disappointed in their condition by the time they were shipped.
