The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) is still dealing with issues of noncompliance from members of the public.
According to Public Relations Officer Carl Padmore, while there was no increase in assaults against workers on duty, the public was still not cooperating with workers, as instances of people putting human and animal faeces into bags for collection were still frequent.
“This was up to yesterday [Wednesday] in the Christ Church area where we had to speak to persons. So we are dealing, with that along with the fact that business owners in Bridgetown are still not cooperating. We’ve made appeals through all types of mediums and they’re still not cooperating in terms of collapsing cardboard boxes and having the boxes closed properly,” he said.
While he was unable to say what the next step would be for the SSA, Padmore added: “we would like to think that organisations like the Small Business Association, the Vendors Association and the Chamber of Commerce would intervene and speak to their members about the issue”.
“We know we have the support of the Police and the Ministry of Health in the matter. At the end of the day, small owners and those must see it as their own responsibility.”
As the country transitions from Independence celebrations to the yuletide season, Padmore says he hopes for a resolution to the issue, as he expected an increase in the amount of waste to be moved by those on duty.
On several occasions, workers faced abuse or have been impeded. Some have been threatened with physical harm as they entered communities to collect refuse, while others have been physically assaulted.
Among the most common impediments were people refusing to park their cars off the road in their garages, men liming in the street and refusing to move, and mechanics leaving vehicles in the streets, often dilapidated or on bricks overnight.
On October 28, a report indicated that a worker from the SSA was struck in the face while attempting to execute their duties. The altercation began when sanitation workers noticed some cones that stopped them from removing garbage from a business place in The City. They asked a manager to move the cones to no avail, at which point the incident took place.
Padmore added that the SSA was currently awaiting police updates regarding the most recent assaults on their workers by members of the public. (JK)