Dubai, Feb 12, 2006 (WAM) - Dubai Municipality has taken possession of six new sweeping machines as part of an ongoing programme to upgrade its sweeper fleet. The procurement forms part of the civic body's efforts to significantly upgrade cleaning services to cope with the rapid pace of development and growth in urban areas in the Emirate.
According to Hassan Makki, Assistant Director of Environment Department and Head of Waste Services Section, the move comes after discussions held by the department with suppliers in the United States last year, according to a press release.
"The objective of these discussions was to put forth to suppliers the unique nature of sweeping conditions in the Emirate. The Environment Department has also refined the specifications for sweepers so that machines which can better address these conditions are procured," he said.
The six 'Tennant' machines will replace sweepers that are scheduled to be retired from the fleet this year and will help the municipality to extend automated sweeping services to newly developed areas in the Emirate. The new 'Sentinel' model sweepers are a significant improvement over their '830 II' predecessor models and feature advanced dust control and other enhancements to improve operability and safety.
He added that the municipality currently operates a fleet of 26 sweepers with at least one sweeper being permanently assigned to each area in the Emirate. While pedestrian-heavy streets and parking lots are manually swept, automated sweeping is an efficient method for ensuring cleanliness in larger, relatively obstruction-free zones. Sweepers are also necessary to ensure that major roads remain clear of sand. Of the 26 sweepers that the municipality operates, nine are heavy duty machines exclusively used for cleaning of roads and highways prone to sand accumulation.
Due to the diverse needs of various areas, the municipality is keen to maintain a sweeper fleet consisting of versatile machines capable of a range of duties.
'This is necessary as sweepers are complex machines prone to breakdown. It is also imperative that machines selected for various sweeping conditions are capable of handling such conditions, Makki said.
An important consideration is hopper capacity (the volume of debris that can be collected by the sweeper) and onboard water tank capacity (water is used for dust suppression). With greater development in the outer-lying areas of the Emirate, sweepers must have sufficient capacities to operate without the need for emptying or refilling.
