Funds requested for new garbage trucks

WESTERN BUREAU -

MINISTER OF Local Government Arnold Bertram is seeking US$2 million from the Ministry of Finance to pay for additional equipment to be used in garbage collection.

Mr. Bertram told the Gleaner yesterday that he had identified 40 trucks on a recent trip to Japan, which will help to ease the pile up of garbage in some areas due to a shortage of solid waste equipment.

"We definitely don't have sufficient compactors to cope with collection or disposal. We are requesting US $2 million to buy some reconditioned equipment out of Japan just to cope with the emergency," he said.

The equipment include 40-ft containers with tractor heads, which will be able to haul large amounts of solid waste. They are expected to be in the island and in operation by December, the Minister said. They will be assigned according to the amount of garbage being generated in a particular area.

Two trucks are to be deployed to Savanna-la-mar and Negril, Westmoreland, where for over a year, solid waste has had to be transported to the Retirement landfill in St. James, a journey of more than 30 miles.

"We have an average four to five trucks making trips from Savanna-la-mar or Negril to Retirement... to haul solid waste over such long distances means that for long periods the trucks are travelling empty. The equipment I have just acquired are what I call transfer stations 40 foot containers with a tractor head. So these will have an extended capacity for the day's generation."

The shortage of solid waste equipment has resulted in a pile-up of garbage in a number of communities.

Back to Lead Stories