Why sticking to standards is not an option, with TOPAS, SWARCO, Yunex Traffic and Telent
“The question isn’t whether we can afford to maintain TOPAS, it’s whether we can afford to become a nation where every junction is an experiment. Every upgrade is a gamble, and every innovation is incompatible with the last.” What happens to your network when every junction becomes an experiment—and every upgrade a gamble? That’s the […]
Yunex: Why TOPAS standards matter more than ever
Yunex Traffic is backing the TOPAS campaign for local authorities to ensure they only use equipment on their highway networks that meets approved standards. Writing for Highways News, TOPAS’s Kealie Franklin wrote that: “It is not much of a stretch of the imagination to picture a local authority procurement officer faced with shrinking budgets, triumphantly […]
SWARCO join calls for standards adherence
The Head of Product & Solutions SWARCO UK & Ireland has backed calls for the industry to insist on rigorous standards now, or risk “haemorrhaging money” later. Derek McLean is responding to an opinion piece written by TOPAS’s Kealie Franklin in Highways News, adding his voice to the the opinion that “standards are not optional, […]
TOPAS: Can we no longer afford standards?
TOPAS’s Kealie Franklin writes for Highways News: The choice is stark: Invest in standards now, or pay for their absence forever. The TOPAS (Traffic Open Products & Specifications) board says, in the wide-ranging article that follows, that it doesn’t need charity. It needs champions who understand that boring infrastructure done right is what makes exciting […]
Major review of TOPAS2500 UK traffic signal controller standard initiated
The TOPAS Management Board has initiated a major review of the UK standard for traffic signal controllers. They Board has commissioned a development team from ARTSM to review the scope and coverage of 2500 adding new content for LRT, reviewing pedestrian facilities, and considering requirements for CAV to align it with current and future traffic control needs. In order […]
TOPAS sets standards for multi-zone detectors
Detectors are the eyes and ears of traffic control systems. Without the information that they provide optimising the movements of pedestrians and vehicles through our road networks would be well-nigh impossible. Their importance is recognised by the recent TTF GLF awards, one objective of which was to ensure that detection is working effectively at crossings […]
TOPAS warns against using non-compliant technology
The administrator of TOPAS (Traffic Open Products & Specifications) is warning local authorities they could be breaking the law if they don’t use approved equipment on their roads. Kealie Franklin has told the latest Highways Voices podcast that contractors and suppliers should ensure products are compliant to standards and specifications, because using non-compliant equipment can […]
Cargo bikes: TfL publishes new safety standard
TfL has published the new London Safety Standard for Cargo Bikes, developed through engagement with industry stakeholders, to encourage good conduct and set out safety expectations for the growing cargo bike industry in London. Cargo bike use continues to grow in London, as a quicker, cheaper and greener alternative to vans. While product safety standards for […]
BSI issues road condition monitoring data specification
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has issued the PAS 2161:2024 , an all new specification for the collection and reporting of road condition data. It says PAS 2161 marks a pivotal change in measuring local road network conditions, introducing updated data protocols that will be used by Local Authorities to report data to central government […]
Government urged to mandate accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure
Calls for all public EV charging sites to have accessible charging mandated are growing with Baroness Jenny Randerson backing the likes of ChargeSafe, Motability Foundation and RECHARGE UK in calling for Government action. Baroness Randerson has highlighted the importance of providing accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure after attending a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary […]