Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne says the city's garbage collection and sanitation services remain under severe pressure, citing an aging fleet, resource shortfalls, and even suspected sabotage of contractor vehicles. He raised the concerns during a media conference at City Hall.
00:00We have a challenge where a significant portion of our fleet is simply just old.
00:05The garbage truck fleet that we rely on is 10 years old in many instances, if not older.
00:12And as a consequence, because of the age of the fleet, we experience significant breakdowns.
00:18Over the last two financial years, the corporation spent more than $2 million on repairs.
00:23But Mayor Alain says the situation has been worsened by alleged sabotage of contractors' vehicles.
00:30They discovered that motor oil had been poured into the radiator of the garbage truck.
00:38So that when the garbage truck was started, it immediately became non-functional.
00:44That first is a very, very significant issue.
00:47It's an issue of great concern for the council.
00:51And this report has been forwarded to the city police for investigation and for the city police to take urgent and immediate remedial action.
01:01The mayor says the corporation applied to transfer $3.8 million from its public sector investment program allocated to acquire new trucks and equipment.
01:11But the request was not approved before the financial year's end.
01:14We made an application for the environment, or that is a transfer, of $3.8 million of our PSIP allocation so that we can acquire a fleet of dump trucks and a new backhoe for the city.
01:31Despite the setback, he says nearly $18 million has since been identified in the corporation's unspent balances.
01:38And City Council intends to redirect those funds towards new equipment, granted they received the required approval.
01:46Mayor Alain says the Portisbane Corporation has been working to fill the gap in the environmental maintenance following the CPAP layoffs.
01:54But challenges remain.
01:55Alain maintains that keeping the city clean depends on having the proper tools and resources.
02:00And he is calling for urgent support to ensure Portisbane can deliver reliable sanitation and maintenance services.
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