New 'centre of excellence' to train people in traffic signal design in West Yorkshire

A new “centre of excellence” could soon be set up to train “young professionals in the field of traffic signal design.”

In 2018, Councils across West Yorkshire agreed to join forces to develop an Urban Traffic Management Centre.

The new service would work to upgrade the areas traffic lights and improve the computer systems that operate those lights.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive in the New Year, Council bosses will be told that there are “concerns” over the number of qualified staff in the area to support these changes.

The new service would work to upgrade the areas traffic lights and improve the computer systems that operate those lights.The new service would work to upgrade the areas traffic lights and improve the computer systems that operate those lights.
The new service would work to upgrade the areas traffic lights and improve the computer systems that operate those lights.

A report into the progress of the scheme says there are 27 staff employed across the region to deal with traffic lights. Of these the average age is 50 and 70 per cent of staff are over the age of 48.

Read More
First look at plans to replace Leeds House of Fraser building with hundreds of s...

It adds: “Consequently, it was identified that staff shortages would be exacerbated in the near future as staff retire, therefore training and development of younger engineers into this field was seen as critical over the next decade.”

A scheme run by Leeds City Council will attempt to train a new generation of traffic light engineers, and Bradford Council’s Executive will be asked to support this programme.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The report adds: “This will ensure that we are able to offer high quality training for urban traffic control staff in West Yorkshire and that the city region remains at the forefront of exploiting and adopting the latest changes in new and emerging traffic management technologies.”

Chris Young, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you'll see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice