Pictured: Inside the cab with the new technology are (left to right) Tony Grundy, Technical Officer, Franca Cianni, Street Cleansing Co-ordinator, and Tommy Murphy, officer.

Our Street Cleansing team will pick up an award rather than litter at an evening ceremony in Aviemore on 19 May.

Having introduced in-cab technology and new back-office processes last year, the team has become more efficient and effective at what it does – and the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Scotland has noticed!

The industry body has awarded the team a Bronze for its digital efforts, with the official certificate set to be presented at the APSE Scotland’s Striving for Excellence awards held in the MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort on 19 May.

Talking about the award, Franca Cianni, Street Cleansing Co-ordinator, Roads & Grounds said:

"Making improvements to the service has been a real team effort, with management and those working on the ground regularly coming together to discuss issues and potential new ways of working.

“Having those open and honest conversations has helped us progress the Council of the Future Transformation of Roads & Grounds project and led to the installation of in-cab devices. These devices have helped us automate several processes, create less paperwork and speed up what we do.

“Drivers can now easily survey and record bin capacity, provide confirmation bins have been emptied and highlight any operational issues, all en-route. This information helps us to quickly re-design routes based on real-time data. It also helps us lower our CO2 emissions, as less miles are travelled because bins are emptied when they are fuller and we manage routes more efficiently.

“Only by working together have we been able to make these improvements; and getting recognition from APSE for that work is the icing on the cake."