From Ian Jenkinson, East Hampshire District Council
Your article on the refuse vehicle with a robotic arm on trial in Emmen
implies that the Dutch city is leading the way
(This Week, 15 August, p 16).
This is not so.
Four years ago, a pilot project was carried out in Fareham, Hampshire, with a
similar vehicle. It had an automatic arm, controlled by the driver, that reached
out and picked up a wheeled bin, brought it to the vehicle, emptied it and then
put it back. The driver never left the cab.
Five thousand homes were visited weekly for a year. The project was a
success.
Sadly, the makers of the vehicle, Boughton International, have had financial
difficulties. That, combined with a the slow adoption of the technology by other
local authorities, has held back this step forward in refuse collection
methods.
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Ian_Jenkinson@easthants. gov.uk
