St James residents protest garbage pile-up

Garbage lines Alfred Richards Street, St James, after frustrated residents protested inaction by the Port of Spain City Corporation by putting the garbage that had piled up at their home over the past several weeks on the street on August 19. - Photos by Faith Ayoung

RESIDENTS of Alfred Richard Street, St James, resorted to dragging their garbage out into the street, after weeks without service from the Port of Spain City Corporation.

After a day of littered streets, collectors finally came to the street and cleared it on the afternoon of August 19.

“It was rubbish on top of rubbish,” said one resident. “We reported this three times in Port of Spain Corporation. Twice to the HR department and once to the CEO. Nothing came out of it.

“For weeks, no garbage has been picked up. This is a health hazard. We have children in this area – little babies. So we came today and put all the garbage in the road and done. The only reason we are not burning it is because the smoke will affect the children and other residents on the street.”

Residents said the area is usually serviced by the corporation but recently service has been sporadic.

“We are accustomed to getting rubbish taken up every day. I don’t want to believe that this is political. Now we have to guess and wonder when the garbage truck is coming. But now we don’t have to guess. We know it is not coming,” another resident said.

A woman walks past an overflowing large rubbish bin on De Freitas Street, St James, on August 19.

“We can’t say we are putting the trust in the garbage trucks. We are leaving the rubbish on the road.”

Residents told Newsday they spoke to workers at the corporation, who said a supervisor ordered them not to collect garbage after doing certain routes, because they don’t have the money to pay them.

“I told him we were fed up and if something can’t be done we will drag all the garbage in the road. He said he couldn’t stop us. That is why we decided to do this.”

Residents said garbage in nearby dumps have been cleared recently but rubbish on the street continues to pile up.

“This is not an action, this is a reaction to inaction. Our children are suffering. What is going on here is a dereliction of duty,” said a third resident. “Who do we go to to solve this and if they are failing at their jobs where do we go from here? What is the Minister of Health’s take in all of this? Is he aware?

“It has been five weeks now, and not one of the authorities has put a handle on this. So what do we do?”

Councillor for St James West Imran Khan told Newsday trucks would normally pass on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He said the residents in the area were informed by the superintendent of transport that there would be a reduction in service because some of the garbage trucks were down.

But, he said, a few “aggravated” residents decided to engage in protest action.

“The truck was already scheduled to pass this evening. So when I contacted them and I told them about it, the time I told every truck would pass it did.”