BENGALURU: As enabling GPS on garbage collection vehicles and tracking them has become a challenge for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP) officials due to several technical and logistical reasons, the civic body is now working on launching an app to track such vehicles.
The Solid Waste Management wing of BBMP had been working on tracking garbage vehicles using GPS for the past three years. But it could not achieve complete success because of several issues. The in-house app has been created for all auto-tipper drivers, attendants, garbage collectors, drivers of garbage compactors and conductors, and others, who work with the BBMP in garbage management.
BBMP Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Sarfaraz Khan told The New Indian Express that GPS has been fixed, but there are glitches in the system. The GPS coordinates and readings are not accurate.
The staff have also complained that there are battery issues, the head office is unable to read GPS coordinates, the signals malfunction, or worse, it does not even switch on sometimes. The app was launched to overcome all these issues, he added.
Khan said a pilot will be carried out first on a few vehicles. It is being made mandatory for each vehicle to run the app before setting out on any trip. Just like the GPS, the app will note the vehicles' movements, where garbage is being collected, and details of any delays and halts.
Each movement is going to be tracked, block-by-block, to know the details of garbage collection. Radio frequency identification (RFID) card verification will also be done mandatorily for those involved in garbage collection.
According to BBMP records, there are 5,500 auto tippers and 600 compactors in Bengaluru. There is a need for such aggressive tracking as many citizens are complaining about improper garbage collection, black spots in many parts of the city and harassment by outsourced contractors as BBMP staffers are not reporting for duty.