The Department for Transport is discussing a possible new home for TOPAS standards with BSI as work continues to preserve the specifications beyond the planned closure of the organisation.
Speaking to Highways Voices at Highways UK at Birmingham’s NEC in an interview to be published on the afternoon of Thursday 15 October, TOPAS director Dr Mark Pleydell said there were positive signs that the standards would be retained, although the future of its product registration process remained less clear.
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The update follows Highways News’ reporting in August that Traffic Open Products and Specifications Ltd would close after its management board concluded its funding arrangements were unsustainable. The organisation anticipated closing in the second quarter of 2028, with applications for registration and re-registration ending on 20 May 2027.
Dr Pleydell said the DfT had recognised the importance of standards in supporting consistent roadside equipment and road user experiences.
“They are currently talking to BSI about taking on the standards and making a home for them,” he explained. “TOPAS is going to continue to talk with and work with the Department until we arrive at a conclusion in that direction, which will occur over the next six to nine months.”
He stressed the distinction between the company administering the specifications and the standards and product registrations themselves.
“TOPAS Limited, the administrative vehicle, is the thing that will come to an end,” he said.
However, the TOPAS name could potentially survive because it is well recognised and appears in many local authority procurement documents. Dr Pleydell emphasised that decisions about future arrangements would be for the Department rather than the TOPAS management board.
“The signs are positive that the standards will be retained,” he continued. “The registration process, which we’ve seen as a valuable part of TOPAS, providing that independent evidence of product fitness for purpose, we’re less clear about.”
One possibility under discussion is incorporating testing processes within the standards as they evolve, making them an integral part of demonstrating compliance.
The funding difficulties have been the subject of several Highways News reports. In January, TOPAS’s Kealie Franklin argued that cutting expenditure on standards risked creating greater costs through incompatible equipment, maintenance problems and difficulties integrating new technology. In June, TRL Chief Technologist Chris Kettell called for long-term Government backing for TOPAS’s core activities.
The subsequent closure announcement explained that registration fees had not consistently generated sufficient income, supplementary support was no longer sustainable, and no viable alternative funding model had been identified that would preserve the organisation’s independence.
Dr Pleydell highlighted the voluntary contribution underpinning TOPAS’s work, saying its administrator was the only person receiving funding, while management board members and contributors to standards development gave their time and expertise.
“A lot of expertise and a lot of goodwill goes into the development and maintenance of these processes, and I’m delighted to know that will continue,” he said.
He explained that standards help pedestrians and drivers encounter familiar, consistent traffic control equipment wherever they travel. They also allow authorities to combine products from different suppliers with confidence.
“Interoperability is also a fundamental cornerstone of what TOPAS is doing,” he said, “so that you can bring equipment from manufacturer A, put it with manufacturer B, confident that the resulting system will deliver safe, reliable functionality.”
Dr Pleydell said TOPAS would provide further updates as discussions progressed.
(Picture – Yay Images)
