Crank It Cycles

The City Council in partnership with its contractor, Downer Edi Works, has launched a service which seeks out glass around the main urban streets and cycle ways.

While the City Council daily cleans up the Central Business District (CBD) and throughout the city, it hasn't had a dedicated glass cleaning service until now. Instead it's relied on the community ringing the Council and reporting broken glass on streets and cycleways.

The Council then evaluated the urgency of the call and sent one of its trucks to clear it up.

In the new service a small, fuel efficient truck will patrol the city seven days a week looking for glass and will respond to any calls it receives on 0800 I TDY UP (0800-483-987) or the Council receives on 356-8199.

City Council Programme Team Leader, Rob Campbell, says I TDY UP has been operational since the start of May and is already proving very effective.

"Because the vehicle is patrolling the streets it's locating and picking up glass even before calls come in to the City Council," Rob Campbell says.

"We've been aware for some time of regular calls from cyclists who encounter glass on the cycle paths, especially those to and from Massey, so this service is intended to be even quicker than the one previously provided."

However it's effectiveness in part depends on the cooperation of people who report the glass and the Council needs them to contact its call centre or the 0800 I TDY UP free calling service Rob comments.

He assures people that the vehicle will be kept busy. If there's no glass around then it will pick up litter and debris from the streets. "We want to offer a faster service at a reduced cost and this service will provide that," Rob says.

All glass cleaned up goes to the City Council's Resource Recovery Centre for recycling.