WITH six of its 21 trucks in need of repair, and the ever increasing mounds of solid waste to be collected and disposed of, Western Parks and Markets (WMP) is struggling to cope in the parishes of St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny.

For example, in St James, the addition of residential communities over the past few years has placed an added strain on an already old fleet of vehicles. Meanwhile, growing communities like Pitfour, Mango Walk and Norwood have also increased the demand on WMP.

At a recent meeting, the Citizens Association in the Norwood Housing Scheme decided to seek a meeting with WPM chairman, mayor Hugh Solomon, to discuss the problem of garbage collection.

Residents charged that a garbage truck used to visit the community every Thursday morning, but it now comes irregularly, if at all.

“Our fleet of compactors, they are old. They are short in supply, although we have been promised by the Ministry (of Local Government) that just around the bend we’ll be having some additional vehicles,” said acting general manager for WPM, Glover Allen.

According to Allen, the problems being experienced with the company’s equipment have been compounded by the increase in the volume of garbage being produced.

“There was a time when a truck would go to Pitfour once per week, and it would have removed all the garbage within two, three hours. Today, a truck goes into Pitfour and it has to make another trip because of the abundance of garbage. I can’t say where it’s coming from,” Allen explained.

And even as existing communities generate more waste, new communities spring up, adding to the WPM’s workload.

Allen maintained that there has been no increase in resources at WPM to keep pace with the growth in residential communities, especially in Montego Bay.

“Some years ago, we did not have areas like Lilliput collecting (from), we did not have Cornwall (Court), so what you find is that our scope of responsibility is widening, while our fleet remains what it was four, five years ago,” he said.

WPM has 15 working trucks out of a fleet of 21. There are six compactors operating in St James, along with a water truck which is used for washing the streets, and for operations at the Retirement dump.

The agency also has a pound truck, and a general-purpose pick-up truck.

There are two compactors assigned to Hanover, three in Westmoreland, but only one in Trelawny, where Allen said there are also garbage collection problems in the hilly areas.

He added that in an effort to juggle the agency’s demanding schedule, garbage is often not collected at the designated times. In the Pitfour area of St James, he said, garbage which should be collected on Wednesday morning is often not removed until Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

The agency has requested 10 additional trucks from the Ministry of Local Government which, Allen theorised, should bring the agency up to speed.

“With 10 additional compactors on the road, our service would (be) tremendously better. We could promise the communities that we’ll be there at a given time and we would be there,” he said.