A school bike bus in Glasgow is believed to be the first in the UK to trial a new smart device which allows cyclists to control traffic lights so every member of the group can safely pass through a busy junction.
The device uses a military-encrypted signal to pause traffic lights for a period of up to 45 seconds and is designed to work at a specific junction during a limited weekly time frame, reports GlasgowLive.
It was developed in conjunction with Glasgow City Council by the Preston-based company Sm@rt Technology, which specialises in innovative solutions for visually impaired people and other disability groups.
> Glasgow City Council orders an “unacceptable” bike shed to be dismantled
The Shawlands Primary School bike bus, which was launched last year and operates in the south-east of the city, is the first group to take advantage of the ground-breaking new technology.
Using the device’s time-restricted capabilities, the leaders of the Shawlands Bike Bus can control the traffic at the junction between Kilmarnock Road and Moss-side Road between 8.30am and 9am on Fridays.
> School bike bus being used for “political ends”, claims MSP
So far, the trial has proved a resounding success, with Shawlands Bike Bus taking to Twitter last week to praise the roads team at Glasgow City Council for their work in developing the pioneering tech.
However, the bike bus leaders pointed out that the “game-changing” device – as useful as it is – can’t simply be viewed as a substitute for safe, segregated infrastructure:
Sm@rt Technology has described the new system as a “huge success”, allowing “all children and adults to safely cross junctions without the signals changing halfway through.”
The tweet by Shawlands Bike Bus has prompted a number of similar school schemes and cycling advocates across Scotland and the rest of the UK, including the Scottish Greens’ Edinburgh councillor Claire Miller, to call on their own local authorities to invest in the “game-changing” technology, suggesting that Glasgow soon won’t be the only city where cyclists can control the traffic…
. You assume a degree of awareness on the driver's part, Cyclisto - whilst their behaviour surely suggests complete lack of same. .
I have a suspicion the journalist enjoyed writing that sentence.
My mechanical shifters are 'recharged wirelessly' when I eat food.
When riding into low sun, there's the fear a driver might not see you. It's therefore valid to think riding very close to the edge of the road will...
It was added to the HWC in 2018 (source The Sun!). Reading around it seems that BMW and others have been experimenting with last mile parking...
"previously admitting 14 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, impersonating a police officer, dangerous driving and failing...
Not a building exactly but something made out of bricks becomes a casualty of "more road!":...
Do they come in multiple colorways?
You have the right to remain silent...
Not sure if this helps but it didn't look like a mushroom on my head when I wore it through last year - it actually looked great!...