Mr. Thomas Forgacs during a tour of the waste trucks
To improve, enforce and regulate the challenges of waste management systems within the metropolis, Visionscape, an environmental utility group working under the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI)has added 100-vehicle fleet, consisting of a series of waste trucks to its operational vehicles.
Visionscape is currently in a public-private partnership with the Lagos State Government, set to provide management services for the CLI, under the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
According to the Chief Operating Officer, Visionscape Mr. Thomas Forgacs, “The addition to the waste management fleet is in line with our commitment to provide integrated waste management services, using state-of-the-art equipment and innovative solutions to help transform megacities. The Visionscape trucks are fully equipped and embedded with cutting-edge features, which includes a Global Positioning System (GPS), radio-frequency identification (RFID), and automotive Controller Area Network (CAN bus) system.
“These innovative features are designed to meet the operational needs facing waste management across the State. Using these methods, Visionscape will be able to monitor and track the State’s waste collection process thoroughly, ensuring the trucks are deployed for effective waste collection within Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and Local Government Areas (LGAs).
“In the last six months, we have surveyed all of Lagos State and collated vital data to aid operations. We, therefore, understand population density of the communities and areas that will be serviced, even up to the number of streets and households across the State. This preliminary assessment has aided us to know the amount of waste that will be generated in any particular location”, Forgacs stated.
Visionscape currently holds the residential waste collection contract for the State, and the management of three operating waste transfer-loading stations, which are currently being renovated, under LAWMA. Visionscape have also begun construction of West Arica’s first engineered landfill in Epe. To-date, the company has successfully cleared over 1,000 litter black spots and illegal dumpsites across Lagos State, as part of their pre-operational phase.
Permanent secretary, Lagos ministry of environment, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye said: “We are rolling off as quickly as possible, Visionscape will deploy their staff to the streets and we hope for a better 2018 in terms of waste management. We seek the understanding of Lagosians that as they start feeling the impact, there will be consistent and continuous improvement.
“We believe that the impact on Lagosians will reflect on their health, also an ecstatic and inviting environment where these former dumpsites will be used as parks for relaxation. Above all, jobs will be provided for people in thousands.”
On the cost implication of the new waste management scheme, the public utility levy, will be handled by a unit of the ministry called, the Public utility monitoring and assurance unit.
“This will take off as soon as Visionscape starts its full activity of packing wastes on the roads. The approach will be that people occupying between 0-700 square meters will pay fairly low rates better than the rates they paid to the PSP/LAWMA of old, while those between 700-1000 square meters will pay a little higher and above 1000 meters will bear most of the cost.
“This is because we live in an imbalanced economy and not everybody is comfortable so we want those who are comfortable to take more responsibility even though more people belong to the less than 700 square meters category. This shows that we have a government that feels the pains of the people and is doing everything to ensure that we it doesn’t over labour our people and make living worth it,” Bamgboye added.
By Ijeoma Opara
