UAE | Environment
Trucks' GPS tracking cuts illegal garbage dumping
85% of trash collection vehicles equipped with the system
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 October 5, 2011
Abu Dhabi: About 85 per cent of the garbage collection trucks in Abu Dhabi emirate have been equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking system which has minimised complaints about illegal dumping of waste, senior officials told Gulf News yesterday.
"Still there were 23 cases of illegal dumping during the last three months which have been referred to the courts," said Rami Abu Hayah, General Manager of Nadafa Programm of the Centre of Waste Management — Abu Dhabi (CWMA).
Out of the 4,500 trucks, 3,825 are equipped with GPS, said Jamal Al Jeetawy, Technical Adviser of Nadafa Programme at CMWA. The rest of the trucks will have the GPS system by the end of this year, as it is mandatory now, he said.
The officials spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of Management Middle East Forum in the capital.
Pollution
Before introducing the GPS tracking system, complaints on illegal dumping were widespread, especially in the Western Region of the emirate, Abu Hayah said. The number of complaints or cases in the past was not readily available with the officials.
People used to complain about waste collection trucks dumping sewerage water in the deserts in the Western Region and polluting farms in the region, Abu Hayah said. Such complaints have gone down considerably now, he said.
The waste management services in the emirate have been outsourced to about 1,200 private companies, of which 800 to 900 are dealing with collection and transportation of waste, Al Jeetawy said.
If the companies do not install the GPS device on the trucks by the end of the year, the CWMA will cancel their licence in coordination with other authorities such as Department of Economic Development, he said.
"A satellite monitoring system is tracking vehicles 24 hours by GPS so that we can know which vehicle crosses its ‘geo fencing' [defined boundary]," he said. The system can also know the level of load in a truck and when and where they are disposed of, the official said.
Action promised
Waste collection trucks have been asked to operate in Abu Dhabi City after 6pm to avoid traffic congestion, a senior official of the Centre of Waste Management - Abu Dhabi (CWMA) told Gulf News.
When Gulf News pointed out that some trucks are obstructing traffic on service roads during the peak hours, Rami Abu Hayah, General Manager of CWMA's Nadafa Programme, said: "Some trucks might be on emergency duty to address complaints from residents about filled garbage bins. Otherwise they should not operate during peak hours."
He asked the residents to report such inconvenience on the toll free number of the centre.
"We will investigate the matter and take necessary action," Abu Hayah said.
Toll free number to be contacted: 8001122
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