Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, September 3, 2026 — Residents along Brasil and Panamá streets reported Thursday that the municipal garbage truck had not arrived for three consecutive days, leaving waste along streets and sidewalks.
In a complaint published September 3, neighbors said the growing piles were beginning to obstruct pedestrians and vehicles. They asked the city for fixed, predictable pickup times.
The current collection calendar assigns 5 de Diciembre pickups at 6:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Published schedule and reported service do not match
Puerto Vallarta introduced the neighborhood collection calendar on July 15. Each colonia received either daily service or four pickups per week, divided between morning and evening routes.
PVDN reported when the schedule was introduced, the city described the changes as an effort to stabilize collection.
Residents on Brasil and Panamá streets said the truck does not follow a predictable time. According to their complaint, it may arrive in the evening, overnight, or the following afternoon.
That variation makes it difficult to follow the city’s instruction to place bags outside shortly before collection.
PVDN reviewed the municipal website and official public channels Thursday. We found no public response addressing the reported lapse on Brasil and Panamá streets.
Accumulated waste affects access and drainage
Residents said the uncollected bags were beginning to interfere with movement along the streets and sidewalks. Both roads pass through a mixed residential and commercial section of 5 de Diciembre near central Puerto Vallarta.
The timing also creates concern during the rainy season. Municipal planning documents identify garbage blocking storm drains as a factor that slows runoff and contributes to street flooding.
Puerto Vallarta emergency officials have previously warned that trash-clogged drains can worsen flooding when heavy rain moves loose waste through streets.
Collection complaints extend beyond 5 de Diciembre
The Brasil and Panamá report follows several complaints from other parts of Puerto Vallarta.
A September 2 report from Playa del Holly documented bags, bottles, and cans accumulating after recent rainfall. A separate complaint from Joyas del Pedregal said a scheduled pickup had been missed the previous day.
Residents in Lomas de San Nicolás also reported irregular collection in late August. They said trucks sometimes passed without removing the accumulated waste.
Those reports do not independently confirm the precise three-day lapse on Brasil and Panamá streets. They show that complaints about missed or irregular routes have surfaced across several neighborhoods within the same two-week period.
State lawmaker Yussara Canales González raised the issue in the Jalisco Congress in August. Her legislative proposal called on Puerto Vallarta to maintain regular collection and comply with its published routes.
“We want the garbage collected in Puerto Vallarta,” Canales said in Spanish during the legislative debate.
Municipal collection system remains under pressure
City Hall resumed direct control of garbage collection April 1 after ending its arrangement with Red Ambiental. The transition followed months of service interruptions and a dispute over municipal payments to the contractor.
PVDN reported on the municipal takeover as the city attempted to rebuild routes using municipal workers and equipment.
On August 9, the municipal workers’ union said 94 employees had returned to collection duties and that the city had hired 50 additional workers for three daily shifts.
The complaint from Brasil and Panamá streets came less than one month after that staffing announcement. Residents are asking the municipality to remove the accumulated waste and operate the 5 de Diciembre route on its published days and schedule.
