LUCEA, Hanover — Western Parks and Markets (WPM), the regional arm of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is scrambling to hire workers ahead of the arrival, within a few weeks, of new garbage trucks.

“We have been undergoing a massive recruitment drive,” stated Acting Regional Operations Manager Dramaine Jones. “These persons will help to put together a cadre of employees so that we can offer better service.”

For some time western parishes, like many in the rest of the country, have struggled with the unsightly and smelly challenge of uncollected garbage. Pointing to aging fleets, the Government has blamed an insufficient supply of garbage trucks for the problem. New trucks were originally expected to arrive last year but the order was pushed back, one of the many fallouts from the redirection of resources to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

During the governing Jamaica Labour Party’s conference at the National Arena last year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that 100 new garbage trucks were being bought. In October, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said 50 from the batch would be arriving soon.

Now WPM, like other arms of the NSWMA across the country, is trying to ensure it has staff to man its fleet. Jones is hoping WMP will get at least 10 trucks. These will be added to its existing fleet of 14.

Several works were hired during two recent recruitment drives but more are needed. Jones and his team are hoping to at least double the current cadre of 25 drivers.

In addition, WPM needs approximately 65 sidemen or sanitisation officers. The organisation also needs mechanics, mechanic assistants, auto electricians and welders.

“We found some of these persons and we have drivers but if there are more out there, we invite them to apply. But what we are really looking for now though, is more sanitisation officers or sidemen,” Jones told the Jamaica Observer.

He said people from the four parishes that the WPM serves — Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland — are welcome to visit its St James office to explore employment opportunities.

Jones promised that things will get better in the west.

“We just want to apologise to our residents across the region. It has not been as we would want it to be. However, we have been facing some challenges; we want to assure them that we are working,” he said.

“We have been conducting our night shifts. We have been pooling in areas where we can pool the units but we try to ensure that the town centres and main roads are clean on a daily basis,” he added.

He said plans are in place to ensure there is no garbage pile-up during the Yuletide season.

“We at WPM, we’ve started to put in place our plans and strategies to ensure that we have a clean Christmas. As long as we have the resources, and the trucks are operational, we don’t see a reason why that should not happen,” assured Jones.