Small trash trucks are partly to blame for ongoing delays in picking up garbage.

Piles of domestic rubbish continued to build up over the weekend, despite Government assurances that it was working to clear the backlog.

The Ministry of Public Works yesterday (monday) said new, smaller trash trucks purchased by the previous Government in the spring of 2012 were partly responsible for the pick-up problems.

“The carrying capacity of the additional new trucks purchased a few years ago is approximately two-thirds of the older trucks and as such, more trips are needed to empty the vehicles over the course of the working day. Consequently, more new, smaller trucks have not resulted in improved efficiencies,” a spokesman said.

The ministry expected that the backlog would not be cleared until tomorrow (wednesday).

“Collection crews are currently working to complete the scheduled garbage collection in the West End zones and are aiming to have both Western zones and Eastern zones cleared by Wednesday,” the spokesman said.

“The Ministry has deployed a full crew to address the backlog and additional manpower has been obtained by personnel from the Highways section. In addition, the Ministry has authorised overtime work for tonight and tomorrow night for collection personnel.

“The Ministry apologises for the inconvenience caused by the garbage delay and will be issuing regular updates during the week to advise residents on the status of clean-up efforts.”

The Opposition yesterday launched a fresh attack on Government’s track record over garbage collections, claiming that the current backlog of uncollected domestic waste was harming the Island’s reputation as a “pristine” tourism resort.

Progressive Labour Party Senate leader Diallo Rabain said: “The uncollected trash that remains a spectacle all over the Island is fast becoming a disgrace.

“While a government spokesperson has used the weather and the Cup Match Holiday as an excuse, what the public really needs is for the situation to be solved as soon as possible. Not only is the trash sitting all over the Island unsightly, it is also unhygienic.

“It is amazing that we have not heard from Public Works Minister Patricia Gordon Pamplin in any formal capacity with regard to this situation.

“In 1999, when Minister Gordon Pamplin sat in Opposition as a UBP member, she had the following to say. ‘I don’t believe that the taxpayers of this country expect to put their trash out in the morning and return home from work at 6.30 and 7pm and find it still has not been removed’.

“She also commented, ‘This does not leave a good image in the minds of our visitors who often see the roads full with uncollected garbage’.

“Well Minister Gordon Pamplin, the year may now be 2014, and the buck stops with you. The public wants to hear how you and the OBA Government will solve this unsightly and unhygienic situation and get Bermuda back to its usual pristine shape during the height of our tourist season.”