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42% of the emaseo fleet operates outside of its useful life
Posted On 08 Jan 2018
Ecuadornews:
For 3 years, a report already warned of the problems: purchases of collectors and equipment without a technical study, in addition the issue of spare parts and technical support for side-loading vehicles was not considered.
Councilors consulted believe that the Comptroller should review the latest acquisitions to determine if there was a breach of contracts and the Mayor allowed an inspection to all the efforts of their ex managers. A 2015 report presented to the Health Commission of the Municipality of Quito, already warned that 42.4% of the fleet of the Metropolitan Cleaning Company (Emaseo) operated out of its useful life.
However, the local authorities ignored it and the consequences are now experienced: garbage accumulation everywhere. To this is added that the purchase of vehicles and equipment was done without studies and now they are stored in barracks of Emaseo, among them, the electric compactors that rest in the sector of Zámbiza (northeast). But Emaseo argues that this place is one of the 8 barracks that serve to decentralize the sweeping service, so that personnel and machinery are close to the routes. “That’s why in these places lies machinery for the operation.”
On the other hand, with regard to the lateral load collectors that handle the waste of the containers, the reports determine the lack of appropriate technical support and the lack of spare parts, a problem that has been publicly admitted by the mayor Mauricio Rodas. The problem was already noticed.
In fact, there are two reports from Emaseo that warned the Mayor of Quito about the inconveniences in the operation of the collection service. For the last quarter of 2017, the problem became chronic: the routes and times of container collection were not fulfilled, which evidenced that the situation of Emaseo had not improved. By November 2017, a new Emaseo report stated that the operational capacity of the lateral loading collection fleet was 53%, since the rest was in maintenance. Quito has 19 of these collectors, 14 of them DAF brand, of Dutch origin, acquired in $ 5,295,000, in 2015, to the Autec-Translif Consortium.
However, from the first quarter of work according to reports they began to present technical and mechanical failures. The company supplying the machinery did not have the stock of necessary spare parts, despite the fact that the guarantee mentions that the existence of these would be maintained for 10 years from the date of delivery. That problem has been deepened with the consequences that all people in Quito already feel.
The Public Media captured graphically that in the Emaseo workshop of the West and Mariana de Jesús avenues (north), trucks are parked, including at least 6 side loading collectors, waiting for spare parts.
On the other hand, at the Waste Transfer Station in Zámbiza, other collectors are not used due to mechanical problems. Members of the Drivers Union of Emaseo argued that those vehicles were hidden there to avoid the control of the members of the Metropolitan Council. In a surprise visit made by the deputy mayor of Quito, Eduardo del Pozo, members of the union and a journalistic team of the Public Media, last Thursday, it was evident that canter trucks brand JAC, acquired in 2016 with an investment of around $ 30 million, are out in the open, waiting to be repaired.
There were also 12 new waste self-compacting machines without use, waiting to be installed in the city’s markets. In addition, damaged containers and about 300 new containers that, according to an Emaseo newsletter, are backup to replace those that suffer damage.
Emaseo’s statement adds that all machinery that is not in the process of maintenance or technical arrangements is in full operation, in cleaning works. What they do not specify is in what conditions they are working. In his moment, the now exgerente of the Emaseo, Juan Pablo Muñoz, clarified that the mechanical and technical problems that presents the fleet of trucks of lateral load must to the bad use of the containers. He said that debris is deposited and that adds more weight than can be lifted by the machinery, resulting in damage to the hydraulic system and lifting arms.
That explanation is refuted by the councilor Daniela Chacón. “We are worried about Emaseo because it presents serious problems of a lack of planning and improvisation that is having consequences in the garbage collection process of the containers. We have a relatively new fleet that is already damaged, “he said.
He added that to that we must add that the Metropolitan Council, last June, faced the situation approved an increase in the garbage collection rate, to give Emaseo financial aid and to carry out the process for the renovation and arrangement of the fleet, but that, until now, has not been fulfilled. He insisted that this is inadmissible because Emaseo had the resources to be self-sustaining. Alternate councilor César Benalcázar believes that the Comptroller’s Office should review the latest acquisitions to determine if there was a breach of contracts by the Autec-Translif consortium. He said that instead the mayor Rodas must perform an audit of all the efforts of his ex-managers and establish the reasons that led the company to this situation.
Rodas said he did not know the contractual part regarding the guarantee of the vehicles recently acquired. However, he indicated that he has maintained contact with suppliers. Last Friday announced that the first batch of spare parts would be available for the repair of the trucks. For Councilman Mario Guayasamín, all these problems and situations could be avoided if the technical corrective measures were taken on time.
“In 2015 Quito already had garbage collection problems, and that was not a problem of the previous administration. In the report that the manager gave us at that time, he admits the lack of collectors for the expansion of the containerization process, which are two completely different processes that are being referred to at the moment. There were problems three years ago. For 3 years you cannot solve a garbage problem, “he said. According to data from Emaseo, the company has an automotive fleet consisting of 255 vehicles, between light and heavy vehicles. Of them, 86 collectors, figure that has been reinforced with emerging measures, according to Rodas.
“The contingency plan has consisted of adding machinery, equipment and personnel to the garbage collection service. To the fleet that has Emaseo we have added, since December 28, 70 more dump trucks and incorporated 500 additional people for garbage collection service.
This has allowed us to equalize in the coverage of routes, “said the Mayor. Last week all this problem led to the resignation of the manager of Emaseo, Juan Pablo Muñoz, and the third of this municipal administration. In his replacement, Juan Neira was made official, who stressed that he will be informed of the situation to determine profound changes and to know how the contingency plan has been implemented. Among councilors and employees of Emaseo, it is said that on purpose the problems would be allowed to overflow to have the excuse of privatizing the collection of rights management, under the argument that the public does not work. The secretary of the Drivers Union of Emaseo, Luis Zuquillo, knows about this possibility and rejects it outright. “We are against privatization because it is not our fault, the fault lies with the Mayor’s administration,” he concluded.
Former manager of Emaseo believes that Quito already lives a health emergency due to lack of planning.
In June 2017, the Metropolitan Council of Quito approved Ordinance 175 for an adjustment to the rate of garbage collection, between 3 and 24 cents, so that in turn the service of the Metropolitan Cleaning Company improves.
This rate represents more than 90% of Emaseo’s income. Notwithstanding the report of the generation of income by garbage collection rate of November 2017, presented to the Environment Commission, establishes that until September 31, only 63.54% of the rate foreseen in the 2017 budget was collected. This, according to the report, shows that despite the application of the new value in the collection rate, there is no certainty that the budgeted value for 2017 will be collected, which stood at $ 42’926,097.65.
The report also points out that the budget deficit of 4’987,380.49, which added to bad planning, causes a paralysis of part of the fleet of collection trucks responsible for collecting waste from the streets of the city, where the 40 % has a container system.
The planning of the former manager Juan Pablo Muñoz projected that by 2018, 70% of the city would have the container system, although it was not specified how he would do it without a budget to implement it. And it is that for this year, in the general budget of the capital city council, no value was assigned to Emaseo, partly due to the intention that the company is self-sustaining. Councilwoman Daniela Chacón said that the Metropolitan Council allocates resources based on the requests from public companies, and that the non-allocation of resources is one of the consequences of poor management and poor management of Emaseo, which did not adequately plan resources which requires.
He even mentioned that the Metropolitan Council wanted to allocate resources of around $ 8 million for the process of arranging and buying new fleet, but that this proposal was not accepted by the mayor of Quito, Mauricio Rodas.
The report on income generation concludes that an adjustment to budgeted revenues must be made at $ 5 million, and that expenses must be reduced in the same proportion.
To overcome these problems, the new manager of Emaseo, Juan Neira, assured that a new fleet of collectors will be purchased. To this end, the Mayor mentioned that a new loan for the amount of $ 90 million is being managed, which will also be used to carry out several works in the capital. Councilman Eddy Sanchez announced that they will ask the Comptroller General for a special examination of the management of the three managers that Emaseo has had during the Rodas administration.
Cleaning Company, without a budget for 2018
In June 2017 the Metropolitan Council of Quito approved Ordinance 175 for an adjustment to the rate of garbage collection, between 3 and 24 cents, so that in turn the service of the Metropolitan Company of Cleanliness improve.
This rate represents more than 90% of Emaseo’s income. Notwithstanding the report of the generation of income by garbage collection rate of November 2017, presented to the Environment Commission, establishes that until September 31, only 63.54% of the rate foreseen in the 2017 budget was collected.
This, according to the report, shows that despite the application of the new value in the collection rate, there is no certainty that the budgeted value for 2017 will be collected, which stood at $ 42’926,097.65. The report also points out that the budget deficit of 4’987,380.49, which added to bad planning, causes a paralysis of part of the fleet of collection trucks responsible for collecting waste from the streets of the city, where the 40 % has a container system. The planning of the former manager Juan Pablo Muñoz projected that by 2018, 70% of the city would have the container system, although it was not specified how he would do it without a budget to implement it.
And it is that for this year, in the general budget of the capital city council, no value was assigned to Emaseo, partly due to the intention that the company is self-sustaining. Councilwoman Daniela Chacón said that the Metropolitan Council allocates resources based on the requests from public companies, and that the non-allocation of resources is one of the consequences of poor management and poor management of Emaseo, which did not adequately plan resources which requires. He even mentioned that the Metropolitan Council wanted to allocate resources of around $ 8 million for the process of arranging and buying new fleet, but that this proposal was not accepted by the same mayor of Quito, Mauricio Rodas.
The report on income generation concludes that an adjustment to budgeted revenues must be made at $ 5 million, and that expenses must be reduced in the same proportion. To overcome these problems, the new manager of Emaseo, Juan Neira, assured that a new fleet of collectors will be purchased. To this end, the Mayor mentioned that a new loan for the amount of $ 90 million is being managed, which will also be used to carry out several works in the capital.
Councilman Eddy Sanchez announced that they will ask the General Comptroller for a special examination of the management of the three managers that Emaseo has had during the Rodas administration. (I)
Source: http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/
