The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) should have four new electric compactor trucks before yearend, an additional three between February and March next year, and four more vehicles later in 2024.
Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, gave this assurance, as he apologised, on behalf of the Ministry and Government, to residents affected by delays in garbage collection over recent months.
Speaking during a press conference in the Ministry’s conference room yesterday, Mr. Forde urged persons experiencing challenges with garbage collection or illegal dumping to call the SSA’s hotline at 262-5326 or 262-5327, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. daily.
He explained that the SSA, like others across the world, was being affected by issues relating to logistics and supply chain management, which affected the ability to get parts for vehicles.
The Minister added that while his Ministry had already started the process of procuring parts from overseas, challenges were being experienced in getting them into Barbados.
“That has led to our fleet on any given day, while requiring 35 compactor trucks, being reduced to 27 or 28. Today, we have 30 on the road,” he said, noting that they continued to work with suppliers to have the vehicles over the next couple of months to increase the fleet.
Mr. Forde explained that the Maria Holder Foundation and Trust was providing the three additional vehicles which should arrive on island between February and March next year, while his Ministry was providing the remaining four.
The Minister pointed out that the SSA was working with a fleet of trucks, some of which were over 20 years old, and therefore were experiencing mechanical challenges. “We are working hard to get our fleet up to the numbers. Bear with us because we understand the concerns,” he urged.
Mr. Forde also made a special appeal to Barbadians to avoid blocking the path of sanitation trucks by parking their vehicles alongside the road.
“If we talk about partnerships and sustainable development, we need to walk side by side on the journey. It must be a partnership that involves everybody.
“The same way you want your garbage collected, hopefully…you will make all efforts to ensure that those workers are able to get to the cans, so they can do their duty and allow this country to remain clean, beautiful and healthy,” the Minister stated.