Public Works Minister Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch made a money-saving case supporting once-a-week trash collection when he announced that it will be extended for another nine weeks.
Initially scheduled to end next week, he said garbage collection once-a-week will continue through to June 29.
Speaking at a news conference aired live this afternoon, the Minister said based on the stats so far, the new schedule had led to a “marked increase” in the amount of garbage collected and the service provided.
Overall, he said it allowed for better management and maintenance of the trash truck fleet, which will be boosted by the addition of new vehicles later this year.
“I can report that we have seen a significant uptick in the amount of garbage collected when compared to last year’s twice-a-week figures,” he said.
“Just under $13,000”was spent on overtime during the first eight weeks of the new schedule, he added.
“We budget $1 million annually for garbage collection overtime — on average we spend approximately $70,000 per month.”
The $13,000 spent on overtime was attributed “solely” to the Saturday collection over the Easter holiday weekend.
The Minister also thanked members of the public for adapting to change, and trash collectors “who do an outstanding job”.
But he said there were still a few weak links.
