THE Government will be embarking on a massive derelict vehicle removal programme islandwide shortly, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Desmond McKenzie has announced.

During his contribution to the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, McKenzie said abandoned old vehicles are eyesores and a public health hazard to the country.

“You have garage operators who have taken over the streets, operating [their] garages 24/7 without any respect…It is difficult especially for those people who are physically impaired to access our sidewalks because used car owners take them over, garage operators take them over. It is creating a nightmare and I call on the country to unite in this effort to rid our streets of this kind of danger,” he said.

McKenzie said that the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will carry out the exercise of removing abandoned vehicles and other types of bulky waste through the use of four newly acquired cranes.

“In addition, we have obtained eight specialised scout trucks that will collect solid waste from hard to reach [areas in] communities across the country. This Government will continue to change the face of Jamaica in a fundamental way,” he said.

In the meantime, McKenzie acknowledged that the NSWMA has been facing a number of criticisms as it works to clear backlogs and ensure consistency in collecting residential waste.

“I know the challenges that the leadership and staff are dealing with. I want to say that they have my total confidence as they work hard to rectify the problems in the field. The addition of 50 new compactor trucks to the fleet has resulted, among other things, in over 1.1 million tonnes of solid waste being collected over the last financial year. Eight of these trucks are exclusively being used to address backlogs. We are making a big difference in this respect,” he said.

McKenzie said that in keeping with the administration’s commitment to substantially invest in the NSWMA, another batch of 50 assorted trucks have been procured, 10 of which have already arrived in the island.

“Their deployment across the regions will lift the standards of service to a new level. This will go beyond the general improvements in public cleansing,” he said.

The minister further praised the NSWMA for its ‘Drum A Di Gate’ campaign, which encourages proper disposal habits, which is bolstering the entity’s objective to keep communities clean.

“The agency is identifying residences across the country that have no garbage bins, and are placing storage containers at the gates free of cost. The initiative is in its early stages, and just under 1,500 bins have been placed so far. This is important not only for encouraging proper waste management at the household level, but also for enhancing a more orderly and physically pleasant community environment,” he said.

Additionally, McKenzie acknowledged the NSWMA’s efforts to tackle the “national challenge” of the accumulation of disposed plastics through a plastic separation and collection drive that currently involves 69 communities across the country.

“Over half-a-million pounds of plastic have been collected so far. This critical initiative will be expanded this year and will be supported by a dedicated assignment of 10 tipper trucks units. This is a vital complement to the work that is constantly being done to clear waste from gullies and drains, of which plastic is a huge component. Preventing plastics from entering our waterways is of even greater importance as we enter the hurricane season,” McKenzie said.