“Clean Bermuda had some roads

And on their roads they had some trash, T-R-A-S-H

With some trash-trash here and some trash-trash there

Everywhere some trash-trash

Here some trash

There some trash

All because Uncle OBA was holding back the cash” — TCF

Over the past two weeks Bermudians have been subjected to almost every road and lane on the Island loaded with garbage bags piled high.

With the combination of heat, rats and rotting foods, it made many neighbourhoods look and smell like a war zone.

When asked why this was allowed to happen, Craig Cannonier, the Minister of Works and Engineering, had this to say: “We have been working with only eight or nine trucks because of major, major issues of the trucks breaking down.

“What has happened recently is that those issues have been compounded to the point where we are down to four or five trucks this week. That is unheard of.” — The Royal Gazette October 30, 2015.

Peeling back the onion

On face value, this can be accepted as a plausible explanation. However, one only need ask a few more questions to find out some pertinent facts.

Upon further investigation, after speaking to several civil servants, these salient points were revealed:

• Overtime was generously given out to W&E staff to ensure Bermuda was spotless during the recent Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Bermuda activities

• Due to early retirement and hiring freezes, there are refuse crew staff shortages of nearly 33 per cent

• The smaller Izuzu trucks were ordered by a senior civil servant three to four years ago.

They are capable of carrying only four tonnes of garbage, while the older Mack trucks are capable of carrying twice that amount, at eight tonnes. Hence making the smaller trucks and their crews work twice as much.

• Most, if not all, of the time the trucks are out of service is due to the ministry refusing to spend money to purchase the necessary parts to repair the vehicles

• The ministry has refused to give the W&E mechanical staff the required overtime to ensure the trucks are fixed as needed.

• The ministry did not provide alternate dump trucks to be used to go out and collect the garbage.

What a plot dem a plot

When one adds up all of the above facts, a few major questions come to mind:

• Knowing that the Isuzu trucks are working twice as much as the Mack trucks, thus increasing wear and tear on them, why would the ministry not stock parts or refuse to purchase parts as need be?

• Why would the minister state on a television broadcast that the ministry was looking to spend taxpayers’ money to outsource truck repairs when they refuse to give W&E staff overtime to repair the vehicles? Does this not cost more than paying government staff?

It seems clear to many W&E staff and the public at large that when Bermudians see mounds of trash on the roadside for days on end, the public will cast blame on the workers themselves.

The public, not knowing the true reasons for trash mounting up, will eventually demand that trash collection be privatised.

The same set of issues may also be said for the public transport and road-cleaning sections.

It was clearly stated by the SAGE report in 2013 that they recommended privatising several government departments.

“Consider privatising airport operations, civil aviation, highways management, maritime administration, public lands and building, waste management…” — Bermuda Sun, November 19, 2013.

Is it just a coincidence waste management is seemingly being underfunded?

“That’s the standard technique of privatisation: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.” — Noam Chomsky