Peerless Road recycling a ‘Kafkaesque hell-maze’
I have just returned from my semi-annual visit to the Peerless Road recycling centre, a lovely-looking, modernistic facility, surrounded by trees, sky and mountain vistas. What could be nicer? It was designed some years ago starting with a blank sheet of paper and could have been anything one could want for a vital component of civilized life.
The result, however, from day one has been to baffle, confuse, frustrate and generally to turn off the occasional user. The facility seems designed to encourage, as nothing else could, the desire of otherwise law-abiding citizens to dump their garbage alongside the nearest disused logging road. Such an appalling choice suddenly seems the right or at least preferable choice compared to attempting to navigate the Kafkaesque hell-maze that is Peerless Road.
This not to blame the staff who work there, who are patient, helpful, sympathetic and friendly.
Much of the difficulty for both staff and users, results from having to distinguish between disposal that is free and that which must be paid for. The obvious solution is to do the right thing and make it no-charge. That might also encourage many more to make use of the facility, including those for whom even modest fees are an obstacle.
Tom Masters
Chemainus