Now, all BMC vehicles will be tracked by control room

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now made it compulsory for all its vehicles across departments to install a Vehicle Tracking Monitoring System (VTMS). The BMC is planning to set up a fully-equipped control room to monitor these vehicles.

According to the data provided by BMC, there are a total 7,811 vehicles, both private and BMC-owned deployed for civic services. As per the data, there are about 871 vehicles that have installed VTMS.

An official said that the purpose of installing compulsory VTMS in vehicles is to ensure transparency in vehicle movement and to monitor trips of vehicles because in many contracts, payment is based on trips the vehicle makes. Also, vehicles carrying debris, nullah silt and garbage have to follow a proper route and dump things at designated locations. It will easier to monitor their movement with the help of VTMS. There are many vehicles that don't follow routes and fake trips to get payments. With this system, the civic body is attempting to curb malpractices, said another official.

According to the civic body, departments like Storm Water Drain (SWD) department, Solid Waste Management (SWM), Hydraulic Engineer department, Sewerage Operation department and Construction and Demolition waste have either their own vehicles or have contractors. In many departments, contractor have now been asked to install VTMS. As it was not compulsory earlier, many had not installed VTMS.

There will be a 24-hour control room manned by four staffers who will work in shifts. The VTMS software will be enhanced and the balance 6,285 vehicles will be integrated with VTMS.

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