AUGUSTA, GA – More than 150 Augusta city vehicles are being equipped with GPS tracking systems in efforts to reduce fuel use and save tax dollars, according to WJBF News.

"What we're looking for is excess idling time, that is a big gas waster," said Fleet Manager Ron Crowden, as reported by WJBF.

Wasting gas or wasting time, with the monitoring system the city can keep track of cars today or what they did yesterday or last week, a way to verify complaints if taxpayers call in and say they saw a city vehicle sitting for hours and not moving.

"The public has the right to know their money is being used in an efficient manner, and this is just another way of doing that," said Crowden.

Employees are made aware the city could be monitoring their vehicle.

The units cost $45,000, and the city is paying $54,000 a year for the computer monitoring, but Crowden said the system will pay for itself in two years time, according to WJBF.