BMC vehicles to be tracked by year-end

By the end of the year, the BMC would install GPS devices on its vehicles to track them. As promised, the authorities have already monitored 800 vehicles of the more than 2,000 vehicles owned by the civic body. The civic body would monitor vehicles across all departments through software developed by the IT department as part of the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS).

Which department has maximum vehicles?
The highest number of vehicles of the civic body belongs to the solid waste management department, followed by the storm water drain department and others. The project would cost around Rs23 crore and was recently passed by the standing committee.

Why is it required?
Civic officials further informed that sensors attached to the vehicles would be connected to the GPS. "This will help us to monitor if the vehicles are actually using their full capacity, in terms of lifting
things they are supposed to, by measuring the weight lifted, time taken to reach a destination and duration of each stops, " an official said, adding that those vehicles provided by private contractors will be tracked first.
The system has been developed keeping in mind erring contractors, who do not carry silt or garbage in their vehicles to the fullest capacity.

Trial project was launched in which ward?
A pilot project on this was initiated in 2012, after receiving complaints from people that the garbage was not being collected. In the trial phase, the GPS vehicle-tracking system was launched in the F-South and P-North wards. Through the system, the BMC would monitor movement along the assigned route, and whether the vehicles are running in accordance to the specified rules. The move is to ensure transparency in the system and reduce transportation cost.