WRWA Transform Recycling Centre with Booking System and ANPR Technology

Western Riverside Waste Authority (WRWA) turn to technology to help manage site capacity and improve the resident experience.

WRWA welcome over 1000 residents a day to the Smugglers Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre. The Centre is for residents of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Wandsworth, and Westminster. With such a high volume of visitors using the site, WRWA sought a solution that would enable them to control site capacity, improve visitor experience, ensure resident safety, and limit site usage to residents of the five boroughs.

To help them meet these objectives, bookinglab, who specialise in delivering public sector booking solutions, have teamed up with SNAPANPR, a leading Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology provider. The end product, a booking system that works in unison with on-site ANPR cameras to automate visitor access and eliminate queuing.

Sharon Ross, Deputy General Manager at WRWA, comments that:

The bookinglab system provides a service that enables residents to make bookings on the same day. In the short time the trial has been operating, we have received positive feedback from residents that like the convenience of not having to queue.

Importantly, residents who wish to dispose of waste using the Smugglers Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre must now schedule an appointment via the new system; the link to do so is here.

More on the booking system and its intended usage:

Built by bookinglab, using JRNI technology, WRWA’s new booking system is designed to manage the flow of visitors passing through the site and reduce traffic build-up in the local area. However, the system also enables WRWA to:

• Increase site efficiency using insights from real-time data
• Improve the visitor experience by minimising the time spent on site
• Allow residents to make a booking on the same day as their visit

With integrated on-site ANPR technology, WRWA can also:

• Crack-down on non-resident usage, saving taxpayers an estimated £100,000 a year
• Deliver a more efficient service by automating the access of booked vehicles

Upon going live on March 22, the system managed over 6000 bookings in its first week.

Chad Duggan, Founder and CEO of bookinglab, adds that:

This solution is a great example of how booking technology can work alongside operational systems to deliver transformational change. We’ve extended our capabilities to automate the flow of data from bookings to on-site ANPR, providing real-time information to staff.

By tailoring the online booking process, we’ve prevented site misuse by validating whether a visitor resides within the boroughs served. Importantly, we’ve also been able to stop banned vehicles from booking online.

About bookinglab:

bookinglab make the shift to digital quick and easy. Delivering scalable, easy-to-use booking solutions that reduce operational costs, increase efficiency, and improve the user experience. Driven by their mission of using booking technology to deliver meaningful change, they develop solutions for appointments, events, green travel, and mobile workforce bookings. If you would like to learn more, click here.