Local News More garbage trucks coming to ease collection woes by Marlon Madden 16/12/2019 written by Marlon Madden 16/12/2019 2 min read A+A- Reset Share FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail 270 Another ten garbage trucks are expected to arrive in Barbados before the end of this week, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced. And by early 2020, there should be another ten on island, to help the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) overcome the significant challenges it faces in collecting garbage in some parts of the island. “I think [we] have ten trucks coming in another day or two, and another two, I suspect, by the end of the year and then another eight in the early part of the new year,” Prime Minister Mottley told reporters today after a tour of Pot House, St John, where she also expressed concern that garbage continues to block drains across the island, and urged Barbadians to stop littering. A year ago, Government said it was planning to import several garbage trucks for the SSA. In January this year, the first two Mitsubishi Refuse Compactor Vehicles, each costing $600,000, arrived in the island but the delay in the arrival of more trucks was attributed mainly to US/China trade tension. By May, the SSA had added seven new garbage trucks to its fleet, moving it from 17 to 24, and two weeks ago, it received another two. You Might Be Interested In Crystal Beckles-Holder, 2nd runner up in regional competition GUYANA: Body of child found after gold mine collapses Barbadians asked to help with return tickets for Haitians As she announced the expected arrival of more vehicles in the coming days and months, Prime Minister expressed regret at not being able to get more trucks sooner. “I wish I could have done this earlier, but when you are operating on a patient, the first rule is that you have to stop the bleeding and the bleed had to stop with us restructuring our debt,” she said. “By us restructuring our domestic and external debt, we have saved the country $1.2 billion a year. There are other things we are doing: [the Barbados] Water Authority has now reached an agreement that the Minister will brief you on later in the week, to be able to settle some of the egregious and outstanding claims and hopefully we can go forward.” (MM) Marlon Madden You may also like Update: Person of interest identified and charged 18/02/2025 Man remanded on firearm and ammunition charges 18/02/2025 Man charged with handling stolen property granted bail 18/02/2025