Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has visited Traffic Information and Control Centre (TICC) Centre in Belfast, meeting with staff who work to carry out a variety of functions, including traffic control; dissemination of traffic and travel information; incident management; and out of hours call handling.

The Minster said: “I was most impressed with the facilities and dedication of staff on display here today.  Traffic Information and Control Centre is staffed 24/7 as operators work to keep traffic flowing as freely as possible, particularly during the morning and evening peak hours or during major events.

“I was fascinated to see the technology in operation, including the 185 permanent CCTV traffic cameras which monitor the road network across the North and the computerised Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system which allows staff to monitor and control the traffic signals at junctions in Belfast¸ Bangor, Newry Carrickfergus and Lisburn. This system permits staff to make changes to timings, if necessary, to help keep traffic moving and prevent congestion from building up.

“When an incident occurs on a major network, staff in TICC update the overhead signs and set advisory speed limits on the motorway network, Westlink, A1 and A6 via a Motorway Control System.

“As traffic returns to normal levels following the pandemic, TICC staff will continue to monitor traffic flow and work with partners in PSNI to ensure traffic information is conveyed to the public and that the network is safe and operating at its optimum capability.”

(Picture – Infrastructure NI)