LAUGFS Eco Sri takes Mobile VET Centres Online

LAUGFS Eco Sri, a subsidiary of LAUGFS Gas PLC and a pioneer in air quality management, has once again broken new ground by being the first organisation in the country to take its Mobile Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) Centres online.

This successful transition has been possible due to an innovative solution developed by the Eco Sri Technical Division to overcome numerous challenges commonly encountered in rural areas relating to internet connectivity. The in-house developed router unit is an innovative, low-cost solution and an effective alternative to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and eliminates challenges arising from relying on a single mobile telecommunications operator.

Eco Sri operates 27 Mobile VET Centres spread across over 150 locations in the country’s outskirts, which have previously been functioning offline due to various internet connectivity issues faced in remote parts of the country. The Mobile VET Centres’ offline to online shift will now facilitate real-time monitoring of Mobile Centre operations, which could function from anywhere across the island, even in remote regions with poor signal quality.

The CEO of LAUGFS Eco Sri, Damayantha Dharmasiriwardana, attributed the success of the move to the in-house efforts of the LAUGFS Eco Sri Technical Division. “This ground-breaking move demonstrates Eco Sri’s ability to discover new and innovative ways to improve our service offering. It also testifies to the unrivalled expertise and dedication of the staff of our Technical Division. Their cutting-edge work has significantly heightened Eco Sri’s already distinguished reputation as an industry innovator,” Dharmasiriwardana commented.

Presently, twenty two Mobile VET Centres have successfully gone online with the remaining five centres scheduled to follow suit in the near future. Eco Sri’s fleet of Mobile VET Centres adds to the company’s operational strength and efficiency, catering to vehicle emission testing needs of motorists living in rural areas. Currently, Eco Sri also operates 84 fixed VET centres, all of which have already been networked to a central IT system and operates online.

In addition, the Mobile VET Centres have been fitted with the latest emission testing equipment and a GPS tracking system. The Mobile VET Centres’ improved and effective functionality will help minimize air pollution levels and yield better fuel efficiency, ensuring that vehicles perform at an optimum level.

Speaking on the R&D innovation hub operating within Eco Sri, Head of Technical, ChinthanaWagapitiya recounted the inception of the R&D unit in 2013 with the objective of bringing out-of-the-box solutions to the operational challenges the company would face. “The team operates with the motto, Go Beyond The Imagination, and our team brings different sets of expertise and talent to the table. We have groomed them to produce innovations that add value not only within LAUGFS, but beyond as well,” he elaborated.

The R&D team’s core responsibility is to advance the process technologies associated with the LAUGFS Eco Sri operation.  With the introduction of the new Octopus router, they have developed the most effective solution to overcome a major issue in VET Mobile operations. Previously, there was no solution to support the requirement of transferring VET data to a Central Sever from any location in the country by using a service provider.

“Our plan is to introduce this unit not only to LAUGFS Eco Sri, but to the entire LAUGFS Group by 2016 and also to start production for the local market to cater to any other users who have similar solution requirements,” added ChinthanaWagapitiya.

Speaking further, the Technical Head spoke of some of the new innovations which the R&D team has successfully worked on to the prototype stage, including Sri Lanka’s first E conversions for Petrol three-wheelers, a device which can replace all conventional PCs with an OS, as well as a low cost universal E-charging point to meet local requirement.

Eco Sri administers VET tests in a seamless and effective manner through an island-wide network of over 100 fixed and mobile testing centres servicing a wide strata of the country’s population. Five new centres have been added to its network this year, providing greater accessibility to motorists across the country. Since its implementation in 2008, vehicle emission tests have been able to significantly reduce hazardous vehicle emissions, identified as a key contributor for air pollution and related environmental issues and resulting health concerns.

LAUGFS Eco Sri (Pvt) Ltd is part of LAUGFS Gas PLC, a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange. Incorporated in 2005, Eco Sri is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company and operates under BOI status for the purpose of issuance of Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) certifications. LAUGFS Eco Sri is a pioneer in air quality management and has been offering Vehicle Emission testing certifications since 2008.