Residents across multiple communities in Dominica have grown increasingly frustrated with inconsistent, unreliable waste collection services, prompting the island nation’s government to greenlight a major upgrade to its garbage disposal fleet: 12 brand-new garbage trucks set to arrive before the Christmas holiday. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit formally announced the new procurement during a national council meeting of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), held in the town of Wesley on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The announcement came in direct response to mounting public complaints from households across the country, who have endured repeated disruptions to scheduled pickups and the resulting public inconvenience and unsanitary conditions. In his address, Skerrit acknowledged the severity of the ongoing issue and emphasized that government officials recognize the direct impact poor waste collection has on daily household life. “When garbage collection is irregular, the problem is felt at your own gate. People have raised those concerns, and we are acting on them,” the Prime Minister told attendees. The 12 new vehicles have already been ordered, and their primary purpose is to expand the current national waste collection fleet, enabling more consistent service delivery, especially for regions that have faced persistent scheduling gaps and missed pickups. Skerrit explained that “The aim is more dependable collection and a cleaner environment.” Expanding the vehicle fleet is not the only step the government plans to take to improve waste services, the Prime Minister added. Clearer communication with residents is also a core priority to reduce confusion and improve compliance. Specifically, the government intends to roll out clearly defined, publicized collection schedules so households know exactly when to expect their waste to be picked up. It will also establish clear channels for residents to report missed collections and get prompt follow-up. Skerrit also noted that maintaining clean, healthy communities is a shared responsibility, encouraging residents to dispose of waste properly, adhere to published collection schedules, and follow official protocols for disposing of large bulky items that require special handling. While the new trucks are expected to significantly boost operational capacity for waste collection across the island, Skerrit stressed that the public investment must deliver tangible, visible improvements for ordinary citizens. “The purpose of this investment is the service at your gate. That is where families should feel the improvement, and where we must keep checking that the response is reaching them,” he said. The planned pre-Christmas delivery will immediately increase Dominica’s overall waste collection capacity, though as of the announcement, the government has not released additional details: it has not specified how the new trucks will be allocated across different communities, nor has it confirmed whether entirely revised collection schedules will be rolled out alongside the fleet expansion.
Government orders 12 more garbage trucks to improve waste collection across Dominica
