The efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safety of roadwork projects have been given a boost by the signing of a new corporate partnership by SRL Traffic Systems, the UK and RoI’s largest manufacturer and supplier of portable and temporary ITS equipment.
The exclusive hire partnership with traffic product development consultancy, Innovative Road Safety Solutions, facilitates the launch of the first complete temporary traffic light installation solution, enabling traffic management companies and local authorities to quickly, cost-effectively and safely decommission and reactivate permanent traffic lights.
Under the company’s new Switching Service, specially trained SRL employees installing temporary traffic lights switch off permanent signs and install patented, high visibility PVC CoverMe Signal Bags, which they do safely from the ground using an extension pole and bungee cord. On project completion, they access and inspect the permanent signal boxes before de-bagging and reactivation.
The new service precludes the need for customers to hire dedicated traffic signal engineers to make separate site visits to switch permanent signs off and on and to bag them before roadworks commence and is significantly cheaper.
The ground-based Switching Service is safer than the alternative – which involves personnel working at a height of between four and six metres – and also removes the project delays incurred as teams wait for independent engineers to arrive.
The new service has already been used by Colas Group on a junction on Dewsbury Road into Leeds, part of the City Connect project. Commented Cola’s Patrick Slicker: “SRL’s ability to decommission and bag-off permanent lights saves time and money and totally eradicates the working at height risk.”
In a joint statement, the managing director of SRL’s hire division, Malcolm Johnstone and IRSS director, Peter Hoban, said: “Our new partnership enables us to promote the efficiency, cost- effectiveness and safety of roadwork projects across the UK and RoI. Initial customer feedback has been very strong indeed.”
Established in 1997, SRL offers a portfolio that includes VMS, CCTV and traffic and pedestrian signals and its products are available for sale and hire. The company has ISO accreditations 9001 (quality management), 14001 (environmental management) and 45001 (occupational health and safety). It is the only ITS manufacturer available to customers on site 24/7, 365 days a year.
Peter Hoban established IRSS in 2019 following a 25 year career in the sale of road safety products to local authorities. CoverMe Signal Bags were created in response to traffic signal engineer feedback, highlighting a gap in the market for a product that could preclude working at height and associated accidents.
