Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Friday rolled out 33 garbage collection vehicles, which will operate exclusively in commercial areas and collect trash from shops and business establishments.

The initiative was taken after RMC received several complaints about irregular collection of garbage.

“This will be different from the usual door-to-door garbage collection. From now on safai workers will collect garbage from a shop as per the time and schedule fixed by individual shopkeepers. We will also have a designated route for each garbage van,” said RMC health officer Kiran Kumari.

The civic body has fixed two schedules for collecting garbage — 6am to 2pm and 3pm to 11pm. “Shopkeepers will have to choose between the two time slots,” added Kumari.

In the first phase, the vehicles will be rolled out in commercial areas like Main Road, Lalpur, Kokar, Doranda, Har-mu, Ratu Road and Kanke Road.

“If this project is successfully implemented then in the long-run we will be extremely benefited. Earlier there was no fixed timing for safai workers and on some occasions they would remain absent for three to four days at a stretch. In such a situation shopkeepers tend to litter the roads,” said Md Nasim, a shopkeeper on Main Road.

RMC has also decided to impose fine on shopkeepers and owners of business establishments who despite proper instructions do not keep two dustbins for dry and wet wastes.

“In 2017 the civic body had made it mandatory for all shops and establishments to keep two dustbins. But still now many shopkeepers flout the rule. We will soon start a drive and actions will be taken against offenders,” said the health officer.