Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) has stated that additional vehicles will be brought in within the next two months to expand the waste collection service.
WAMCO is currently using the same vehicles since it first began its services. These vehicles are outdated and the company is facing difficulties in transporting waste. The vehicles initially brought for the collection of waste were sealed to prevent odour but now the vehicles are badly damaged, according to the company.
Speaking to PSM News, Managing Director of WAMCO Yoosuf Siraj said that no effort has been made to renew the vehicles used to transport waste although huge expenditure has been made on waste management in recent years. He, therefore, said that huge expenditures have been incurred to repair the vehicles. He said additional vehicles will be brought within the next two months.
WAMCO implemented the policy of segregating waste before collection from households in July last year. However, the segregated waste bags are collected and transported together using trucks and the company has addressed concerns by stating that the bags are separated once again at the waste management site.
WAMCO state that 14 vehicles will be added to the WAMCO fleet after the development of the Male’ Waste Transfer Station in Zone 3. The vehicles will be used for operations in Male’ City and Hulhumale’ and the waste bags collected from households will be separated when they are loaded into the vehicles.
The Male’ Waste Transfer Station is expected to begin operations in July. It will include an administrative block that WAMCO and other authorities can use to monitor the system, as well as pickup trucks and other resources. The facility has the means to measure and transfer waste from the decks of its five waste tipping bays into containers, replacing the transfer of waste via barges, which tend to leak waste into the ocean.