A contract for a new system, which it’s hoped will boost the efficiency of Renfrewshire Council’s bin collections, has been given the green light.
Councillors gave their seal of approval to a deal – worth around £274,000 – for waste management, route optimisation and in-cab technology at the finance, resources and customer services policy board.
A report, which was considered at Thursday’s meeting, confirmed the local authority needed a “suitably experienced supplier” with Bartec Municipal Technologies selected after a procurement exercise.
Councillor Chris Gilmour, Labour group environment spokesperson, said: “I do hope the system is a bit better than the last one, which lasted about three years.
“Really the question is – the serious question is – is this new system we’re putting in flexible enough to change with the times?”
Responding, council officer Lindsey Hepburn highlighted assisted collections – where some residents receive help in taking their bins out – as one area in particular where the equipment could help tackle certain issues.
She explained: “The in-cab device will show the properties that are an assisted collection in a different colour, so that will then help the drivers identify those properties to make it really clear to them that they have an assisted collection.
“Once that’s been done they have to actually physically confirm on the system that it’s been done and collected and that’s reported back to the back office service to then process.
“It allows other reporting features but that’s probably one of the main critical ones that we’re seeing from this system that we’re looking to procure.
“It does offer wider environmental benefits as well. It will ultimately optimise our routes so they are as efficient as possible and that will in turn reduce our fuel and deliver carbon benefits.”
Councillor Gilmour, who represents Johnstone North and the surrounding villages, quipped: “Bin utopia maybe? I look forward to it.”
Councillor John Shaw, board convener and SNP representative for Renfrew North and Braehead, said: “Certainly from the visuals I saw, it looks the part.”
The report outlined the “core functionalities” the system should provide include routing and mapping for strategic route planning; facilities for communication between office supervisors and collection crews; route risk information to collection crews; reporting functionality and integration with existing council systems to improve self-service for residents and businesses.
The call-off contract, which will have an initial period of three years with two optional extensions of 12 months, is anticipated to start from early March.
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