Star Seychelles gets new compactor trucks |26 March 2014

Star Seychelles, the company responsible for waste collection in Seychelles, has added two new compactor trucks to its fleet.
 
The two electronic and hydraulic trucks were ordered six months ago along with two others that are still being manufactured and will arrive in the country in three months’ time.

The two new trucks are expected to ease some work pressure on the company as some of its other trucks have been out of service for some time and are awaiting spare parts.

Imported from Hiroshima in Japan, the compactor Nissan trucks have cost R1.6 million each.

Star Seychelles already has two compactor trucks of the same model imported last year and the new ones will bring to six the number of trucks of the same model in the company’s fleet.

Besides the four compactor trucks, the company has also ordered two pick-up trucks at a cost of R500,000 each that are expected to arrive next month, Star Seychelles’ director Bernard Croguennec has said.  

The company has also since last year and the beginning of this year ordered three containers of bins, two of which have already arrived and the other is expected later. The containers have cost the company R200,000 each.

“Star Seychelles is making this big investment due to the fact that we are re-looking at our work plan in terms of equipment and capacity building. We have a new work contract with government now as we no longer do beach cleaning and roadside cleaning. We manage the landfill, do waste collection and clean Victoria,” he said.

Star Seychelles has now a total of 15 compactor trucks out of which four are out of service waiting for spare parts.

“Our main problem is with the drivers. Most of them do not turn up for work especially after being paid or they turn up drunk. Sometimes in their drunken state, they mishandle equipment that cost us dearly,” he added.

Mr Croguennec said that the company has brought this issue to the concerned authority and it has been granted permission to have expatriate drivers. Already 10 have arrived in the country and are on training to get used to our road network.

According to Mr Croguennec, Star Seychelles collects a minimum of 65 tonnes of waste every day compared to 25 tonnes a day when they started in 1998. The record is 115 tonnes collected on December 10, 2013.

A total of 160 truck loads enter the landfill every day, with a record 225 truck loads recorded also on December 10, 2013.