GPS devices track city garbage trucks

Garbage truck no. 34 of the Department of Public Services of Cebu City dropped by a junk shop along J. de Veyra Road for 16 minutes yesterday.

Engr. Dionisio Gualiza, Department of Public Service (DPS) head, said the truck driver will be made to explain.

City government garbage trucks are prohibited from dropping by junk shops to sell scrap materials they collect.

Since last year, DPS trucks have been  tracked by  their location and activity to check efficiency and curb selling discards on the side.

But truck no. 34 will be asked to explain his stopover  “because it’s  possible the junk shop is along its garbage collection route.”

Grace Luardo, DPS radio tracking in-charge, said  Global Positioning System (GPS) devices   were installed in all garbage trucks last year to monitor their movements. The  tracking device is connected to the DPS computer.

She said  several erring  truck drivers   were  reprimanded and reassigned as penalty for violation on first offense.

“But so far, there have been no suspensions because we have not caught second offenders,”  said Luardo.

Using his laptop, Luardo showed reporters in a briefing yesterday  the movement of dump truck No. 34.

The truck  was spotted in barangay Mabolo at 6 a.m. It   shut down its engine at 6:50 a.m. near a junk shop in J. de Veyra Street  at the North Reclamation Area. The truck  restarted  at 7:06 a.m.

Gualiza said he is still checking  the driver’s name and the purpose for his visit on J. de Verya Street. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters