Traffic signal manufacturers

General

There are three major traffic signal manufacturing companies in the UK as well as a multitude of smaller companies ranging from installation/maintenance companies and product suppliers.

Siemens Mobility

Siemens Mobility is the largest of the "Big Three" companies in the traffic signals market. Siemens supply controllers, lanterns, pedestrian equipment (from AGD Systems) VMS, UTMC and UTC systems as well as fault management and remote monitoring software.

History

The history of Siemens' traffic control business harks back to the late 1950's and the Automatic Telephone and Electrical Company, who were one of a number of manufacturers of traffic control equipment at that time. ATE was taken over by the Plessey Corporation in 1961 and in 1989, Plessey was bought out by a joint venture vehicle "GEC Siemens plc", with Siemens getting among other things, the Plessey Controls division to become Siemens Plessey Controls Ltd.

PEEK Traffic

PEEK Traffic is the second largest player in the traffic signals market. Like Siemens, they offer a multitude of systems and products along vthe same lines.

History

PEEK Traffic in the UK and Europe has a much more colourful history than most of the other companies in the UK marketplace. It started life in the US - indeed the PEEK Corporation is still in existence - presumably moving in to the European and UK markets with a series of acquisitions.

In the UK, PEEK was formed initially out of the buy-out of the Ferranti traffic signals operation in 1993, followed closely by Elequip Traffic Signals. In 1995, PEEK's position was cemented to a degree with the acquisition of traffic controls business of GEC, which itself was bolstered by the acquisition of Elliot Automation. In acquiring the GEC business, PEEK also gained its Urban Traffic Control system and also its ownership rights to SCOOT.

The PEEK operation is now split in to two very independant companies; PEEK Traffic in the UK and Europe and the PEEK Traffic Corporation in the US. Both are subsidiaries of other technology groups. PEEK suffered for a number of years at the hands of investment groups which stifled development around the turn of the century, however since its acquisition by Imtech, its product line has increased in both performance and functionality.

Of note, in 2005, PEEK bought up the rights to many Monitron products when that company when that company folded, including its WIZnet Remote Monitoring platform.

Telent

Telent is the third business of the "Big Three" although nowadays its dominance is challenged by some of the smaller companies, such as TSC and Motus. Its core business is traffic signal equipment, installation and maintenance and has a much smaller and closely related product line.

History

In 1992, a new company entered the marketplace with a new design of traffic controller; this company was called Microsense, based in Fareham. It produced the very successful and very popular MTC traffic controller and MPC pedestrian controller. In around 2002, Microsense was taken over by Traffic Signals UK which changed its name to TSEU shortly afterwards, although still living mostly off the reputation built up by Microsense.

In 2008, TSEU was acquired by Telent, which as it happens is formed out of the remnants of the old businesses of GEC which were not absorbed by the buyers of the various businesses.

Traffic Systems Co-Operative

TSC are a maintenance and installation company based in Rotherham.

Motus Traffic

Motus is an amalgamation of two original companies; USCO Traffic of Sheffield and Techmiracle of St Neots. The former being an installation and maintenance company and the latter being a products and technology supplier.

MOTUS currently holds the Traffic Signal element of the Blackpool Street Lighting PFI Contract.