THE National Solid Waste Management Authority has gone to tender for a new mobile app, in a fresh push to modernise waste collection services after its earlier platform fell into disuse.

The agency is inviting bids for the design, development and installation of the application, which it wants to do far more than its previous version. Planned features include garbage truck tracking, collection schedules, digital bill payments for commercial customers, and upgraded tools for residents to report missed pickups, illegal dumping and littering.

The move comes several years after the NSWMA launched an app aimed at helping residents report service issues and submit complaints. While that platform was part of the authority’s wider technology drive at the time, it is no longer functioning.

“While we have an app, it is not functional at the moment, therefore, we want a new app…something that will be more informative, something that people can use to get information quickly,” said Sharnon Williams, community relations manager at the NSWMA, told the Jamaica Observer.

This time, the authority says it wants a more practical tool that gives residents immediate access to service information rather than simply acting as a complaints portal. Just months after the launch of its first app in 2020, the NSWMA at the time said it had received over 300 reports and 600 downloads, many of which were resolved within 24 to 48 hours.

“They should be able to go on the app and see the collection schedule, be able to track where the truck is or the truck that’s closest to them,” Williams told the Business Observer. She added that one of the current problems is that many residents do not have easy access to collection schedules or know when trucks are due in their communities.

The upgraded platform is also expected to improve how the NSWMA handles its paying customers. Commercial clients would be able to settle bills through the app instead of waiting on collectors or travelling to an office. Meanwhile, residents would still be able to lodge complaints and submit photos or videos of service issues.

A tender notice issued by the authority earlier this month invites qualified companies to submit proposals for the design, development and installation of a new mobile application under the Government’s competitive bidding process. Bids are due by April 16 at 11:00 am, with submissions to be made through the Government of Jamaica’s electronic procurement platform.

The authority said the project remains at the tender stage and the final cost cannot yet be determined as pricing will depend on the bids received and the outcome of the procurement process.

It is, however, aiming to have the app rolled out within the next six months.

— Karena Bennett