SSA aims to boost collections

Relief is finally on the horizon for frustrated communities battling uncollected garbage, as 12 of 26 newly purchased trucks arrived in Barbados on Thursday. The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) is aiming to have these vehicles operational by late next week, promising a cleaner start to the New Year.

SSA Chairman Ramon Alleyne told Barbados TODAY that the first batch of trucks is currently at the Bridgetown Port. “The hope is that they will be cleared early next week and possibly pressed into service… I would imagine by late next week, they should be in service,” he said.

Alleyne noted that bin lifters need to be added to the vehicles but assured they are “pretty much ready to go”.

In recent weeks, residents across several parishes have complained of overflowing bins and unsightly pile-ups due to a decline in garbage collection services. Acknowledging the challenges faced by affected areas, Alleyne assured that the SSA remains focused on improving service frequency as the New Year approaches.

“The intent is to be in a position to offer improved frequency of service in the New Year. We have plans to bring the fleet up to the numbers that would allow that increase. Once we settle the logistics, we will announce what the increased frequency will look like within the first quarter of next year,” he explained.

Alleyne highlighted that an optimum fleet size of 50 or more trucks is required to adequately service all parishes. With the new arrivals, the SSA’s fleet now stands just shy of 50 vehicles, and an additional 12 trucks are expected by early next year.

He said: “The optimum plan is to bring the fleet to 50-plus. That will allow us to implement the increased frequency across the island. We recognise that we will need in the region of 50-plus to be able to deliver that kind of frequency.”

The SSA chairman also emphasised that the new trucks, varying in size to accommodate different road conditions, will ensure an islandwide improvement. 

He said: “We have areas that have been feeling the pinch. The idea is that we have brought in varied sizes, such that we have the trucks available to go into the different districts depending on road size and space, which has been a problem previously. So, it’s islandwide; this is not for any one particular area. The idea is islandwide improvement.”

The remaining 14 trucks are expected to arrive in two batches—ten by month’s end and the final two in the New Year—in a bid to bring much-needed reinforcement to the SSA’s waste management efforts. 

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb