The Hindu                07.05.2013

Garbage-collecting vehicles fitted with GPS gadgets

To track the movement of garbage vehicles and for better
fuel management, 70 vehicles used for solid waste management by the
corporation were fitted with global positioning system (GPS) technology
at a cost of Rs. 13 lakh here on Monday.

The GPS
device concealed in the vehicles would enable officials to locate and
track vehicles, ensure vehicles ply on designated route, check travel
history, track speed, fuel monitoring, prevent theft and calculate the
idle time of the vehicles. The monitoring desk, located in the
corporation office, records the movement of vehicles through satellite
technology and the information can be used to interpret the data.

Corporation
officials said that the new system would enable them to prevent fuel
theft and effectively help in time management as the vehicles collect
garbage from all the 60 wards and transport it to the solid waste
management plant at Chettichavadi, which is about 13 km from the city.

They added that the device could not be tampered with as it would be continuously monitored through satellite.

Study conducted

Earlier,
a pilot study was conducted by fitting the GPS gadget in two vehicles
and their movements monitored, added the officials.

On Monday, two vehicles were fitted with GPS gadgets in the corporation office and their movements monitored in the software.

Mayor
S. Soundappan, Deputy Mayor N. Natesan, Commissioner M. Ashokan,
Executive Engineers A. Ashokan, G. Kamaraj, Zone Chairman’s,
councillors, L. Rajesh Kumar, Senior Business Development Executive,
J-Technologies India Private Limited, Coimbatore and other officials
were present.