KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has received 11 more new compactor garbage trucks valued at approximately US$1,658,597 or J$214,788,312 from the Government.

This now brings the total number of new compactor garbage trucks received since the start of the financial year to 28 with a value of J$561,841,511.00, according to a release from the NSWMA.

NSWMA said three regional entities — Southern Parks and Market (SPM) Waste Management Limited, Western Parks and Markets Waste (WPM) Waste Management Limited and Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) Waste Management Limited — would each receive three units, while North Eastern Parks and Markets (NEPM) Waste Management Limited will receive two units.

The NSWMA said over the past weeks, the number of compactor garbage trucks in operations has been reduced due to varying mechanical challenges.

This resulted in both backlog and delay with the collection of solid waste from communities and town centres. The new compactor garbage trucks are expected to help with the clearing of backlogs and will help to streamline the operations of the regional entities, the agency explained.

Garnet Edmondson, Regional Operations Manager for WPM Waste Management Limited (serving the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland) welcome the addition of the three new trucks to the fleet.

“We want more trucks, but this is a good start,” he said.

“With these three garbage compactor trucks, the regional team will be on the path to improve service delivery to the people of western Jamaica. We will not only be able to make timely and full collection of solid waste from communities where residents are in backlog, but we will be able to leave from our dispatch garage much earlier, be in a better position to maintain the collection schedules and not have backlogged communities,” he further explained.

In April this year, the Government handed over the first six of the 28 garbage compactors ordered for NSWMA last financial year.