Scotland’s new traffic control hub an ‘exciting new chapter’

A new traffic control centre that will co-ordinate a more joined-up response during major travel incidents and severe weather as well as target reduced journey times across the transport network is officially open for business. The new Traffic Scotland traffic control centre boasts the latest technology and will keep the public up to date with traffic information about incidents on more than 3,500 kilometres of Scotland’s trunk road network. Modern technology and improved co-ordination will be used to colla
April 22, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A new traffic control centre that will co-ordinate a more joined-up response during major travel incidents and severe weather as well as target reduced journey times across the transport network is officially open for business.

The new Traffic Scotland traffic control centre boasts the latest technology and will keep the public up to date with traffic information about incidents on more than 3,500 kilometres of Scotland’s trunk road network.

Modern technology and improved co-ordination will be used to collate and communicate real-time traffic information on incidents and events that take place on the trunk road network, meaning travellers are able to make better informed decisions about their journeys.

Significant additional benefits will also be delivered by combining the Forth Replacement Crossing Contact and Education facility with the new control centre. Previously 505 Transport Scotland’s operations were located in Glasgow, co-ordinating the emergency travel response via the establishment of the Multi-Agency Response Team (MART).

Opening the centre, Scotland’s deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Today marks the culmination of a long journey but also marks the start of an exciting new chapter.

“The Traffic Scotland service has enjoyed a proud history and the new centre will take everything that was effective about the previous service and rehouse that expertise in surroundings fit for the 21st century, complete with the modern technology required to deliver a more effective approach.

“This impressive new facility, overlooking the Forth, road and replacement crossings, will quickly become the beating heart of Traffic Scotland’s operations.

“An efficient and safe transport system is essential for a modern society with a competitive economy.”

Superintendent Iain Murray said: “The new control room is an excellent example of partnership working and sharing resources to provide the best possible response to incidents on the trunk roads network.  “The control room will provide the new police trunk roads patrol group with live access to information about incidents and issues on the road and will improve deployment plans and attendance times.”
Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Investment boost for Canada’s weather warning systems
    August 5, 2013
    David Crawford reviews national and regional initiatives to boost Canada’s weather forecasting. Over the next five years Canada’s national weather services are due to benefit from a CAN$248 million injection of funding into the Environment Canada (EC) department to deliver timelier and more accurate weather warnings and forecasts for users including travellers and transport operators. The scheme, set out in the country’s 2013 Economic Action Plan, is to revitalise the services with new investments in federa
    Read More
  • Hertfordshire’s traffic control centre ‘improves congestion’
    March 13, 2013
    As part of a wider Hertfordshire County Council strategy to ease congestion across the county, the council is installing variable message signs to provide live incident information, managed by a centralised control centre at County Hall. The centre opened in October last year at a cost of around US$600,000 and is operated by eighteen staff, who monitor the county’s road network. If an accident occurs, traffic signals can be adjusted and messages displayed in a bid to redirect traffic ease congestion. Mainte
    Read More
  • White Paper focuses on British Columbia infrastructure needs
    November 7, 2014
    With the economic prosperity of British Columbia and Western Canada relying increasingly on global trade and our ability to deliver goods to foreign markets, the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC) has released Building BC for the 21st Century: A White Paper on Infrastructure Policy and Financing in advance of its second annual BC Business Summit today. The paper examines the existing infrastructure networks – including transport, utilities, telecommunications, hospitals and schools – and their
    Read More
  • IP technology the route to efficient multi-agency control rooms
    February 1, 2012
    As IP-based technology makes its presence felt in the control room sector, it makes for greater economies of scale and also offers a migration path for many other traffic management technologies. So says Barco's Guy Van Wijmeersch. Efficient control room collaboration and decision-making is only possible if operators and decision-makers have easy and timely access to information. In many cases, that information also needs to be accessible to multiple users at the same time. This is certainly so in the case
    Read More

Highlighted Content