The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) should “very shortly” be in a position to report about additional garbage trucks.
Chairman of the Board Senator Rudy Grant made the announcement earlier this evening as he wrapped up his presentation at the 81st Barbados Labour Party Annual Conference in Queen’s Park.
Grant said Barbados had ordered 12 “purpose built” trucks to address the garbage collection problems plaguing the country, but these took seven to nine months to make.
The chairman said the chassis were built in Japan and the bodies in Iowa. All of the former were now in the United States and the latter were completed so the manufacturing of the trucks was taking place. As they were completed, they would be shipped to Barbados.
Grant said on Tuesday they would “consider a different approach” to getting trucks in a shorter period of time.
These will augment the ageing fleet of trucks ranging from 14 to 19 years, which Grant said had structural, mechanical and electrical problems.
Meanwhile, two new garbage collection routes were also announced.
One will start in the area of Gemswick, St Philip, go past the Grantley Adams International Airport, along Highway 7, Bay Street, St Michael, on the outskirts of Bridgetown and along Princess Alice Highway, ending at the end of the Mighty Grynner Highway.
The second route will commence at the end of the Highway, going along Highway 1 through Speightsown, St Peter, ending at the top of Sutherland Hill, St Lucy. Collection will be made alternately from Monday to Friday.
Grant also addressed the building at Vaucluse, St Thomas; the scrapped tipping fee; arrangements with the private haulers and negotiations with the unions on work terms.
The chairman was one of five from state-owned enterprises who made reports at the conference. There were also reports on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados Port Inc., Transport Board and the Barbados Water Authority. (SAT)
More coverage from the Annual Conference in tomorrow’s Sunday Sun.
