GREAT BAY--Merchants on Backstreet are calling on government to extend the placement of communal garbage bins beyond the Boardwalk and Frontstreet and to provide an update on the remaining bins ordered to be placed specifically in the Philipsburg area.
Merchants, speaking to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘦 on condition of anonymity, questioned whether there are plans to install bins on Backstreet similar to those recently placed along the Boardwalk and Frontstreet.
The merchants said they have taken note of the attention being directed toward the Boardwalk and Frontstreet, while Backstreet, another major commercial area in Philipsburg, could also benefit from additional garbage disposal facilities.
They said the placement of even a small number of communal bins would help businesses, residents and visitors dispose of waste properly and contribute to a cleaner shopping district.
Questions were also raised about the status of the 80 communal garbage bins reportedly ordered by government for placement across St. Maarten. Earlier this year, it was announced that approximately 20 of the bins had been installed. However, no public explanation has since been provided regarding the location or status of the remaining 60 bins.
The bins were purchased through the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, while the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure was responsible for identifying the locations where they would be installed.
It remains unclear whether all 80 bins have arrived on the island, why the remaining bins have not yet been placed and where they are scheduled to be placed.
They also urged the relevant ministries to include Backstreet in the next phase of installations, noting that maintaining cleanliness throughout Philipsburg should involve all major commercial areas rather than selected sections of the capital.
