CH truck movement questioned

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Public Services (DPS) will direct a driver of a garbage truck to explain why the vehicle stayed at a junk shop in Barangay Mabolo for almost 30 minutes during the time it was collecting garbage yesterday morning.

The garbage truck stayed at the junk shop from 6:58 a.m.-7:24 a.m. This amount of time in collecting garbage from just one place is reportedly unusual.

The DPS was able to monitor the truck’s whereabouts with the use of a tracking device attached to the vehicle’s dash board.

“Ato nga patubagon ang drayber sa mao nga garbage truck kon nag-unsa sila didto kay basin og nagpik-ap lang diay sila og basura,” said DPS head Dionesio Gualiza.

Early this year, the city government decided to install tracking devices on 21 of its vehicles, including garbage trucks, water tankers and service vehicles. The decision stemmed from numerous complaints of delayed collection of garbage here.

Gualiza explained that DPS is able to monitor the vehicles with the use of a Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit.

What happens is that a telecommunications company transfers the signal from the tracking device to the website of the service provider, which DPS can view online.

The city is reportedly paying P800 every month as subscription fee for each vehicle. This amounts to P16,800 every month.

Among the information that will be transmitted by the special gadget includes the time and specific location of the vehicle.

Gualiza said the tracking device would allow DPS to monitor the movement of the vehicles, including the length of time they stay at a particular place.

Gualiza said he has found out that some garbage trucks have travelled outside their areas of responsibilities (AOR) allegedly to sell items they have salvaged, including recyclable materials, to junk shops.        - THE FREEMAN