An eight-year contract has been laid out, which will begin in July 2022. Colas will take the reins on the important tasks of routine maintenance, repairing defects and responding to emergency incidents. Navigating severe weather services will also fall under their remit.

Andrew Jinks, regional operations director for the Midlands at National Highways, said “By working more closely with our supply chain partners on routine maintenance, repairs and incident response, we’re able to work more effectively, identifying innovative ways of working and provide the best possible quality of service to road users.

“We’re delighted that Colas has been awarded this contract and look forward to working with them, driving improvement and strengthening our regional expertise.” 

Colas Ltd is a UK-based company that provides civil engineering solutions. It is taking over at the end of the three-year contract currently with Kier. Area 9 contains over 2000 miles of motorway and trunk roads, making this a huge opportunity for the business. 

CEO of Colas Ltd, Carl Fergusson, said: “Everyone at Colas is delighted that we are continuing to build on our successful relationship with National Highways with this new, significant, contract award.

“We are looking forward to establishing a highly effective collaborative working relationship in Area 9 with National Highways and our supply chain partners as part of the contract, and in working towards the common goal of reducing carbon emissions to achieve net-zero.”

Searching for some more road safety news? Browse our other blogs for weekly updates. Or, for a free road marking quote, click here

3i Infrastructure, a London Stock Exchange-listed business, has obtained a 92% stake in SRL, cementing its position as a controlling shareholder. SRL has plans for growth following the deal, hoping to expand into new markets, as well as create fresh products.

SRL is already thought to be the UK and Ireland’s largest provider of temporary Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which provide innovative solutions for traffic management. The company states that the “narrowing of the technological divide between temporary and permanent technology” is at the core of its new developments. 

The business has undergone various changes in the last few years, including a management buyout in 2019. Since then, a diverse range of products has been introduced to the market, such as a modern variable message sign (VMS) fleet, work-zone protection barriers, CCTV, and portable Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) technology.

SRL is currently being led by CEO Adrian Murphy, who was a new addition to the company in April. 

Speaking about the future of the business, Mr Murphy said: “SRL has achieved stunning growth since 2019, and the buyout will enable the company to continue along this trajectory, bringing industry-leading, innovative mobile ITS solutions for hire and sale to our expanding market, along with further developments to our renowned customer service offer.

“In the meantime, so far as our customers are concerned, on an operational level, it will be 100% business-as-usual.”

If you want to read more about what’s happening on our roads, check out another blog post. Otherwise, get a free road marking quote by clicking here.

Released on the 9th September 2021 for World EV Day, it offers car owners practical advice about electric vehicles. Drivers can view how much money they could save if they bought an EV, as well as informing them of the environmental benefits. 

The app is free to use and was funded with £2.7million from the UK Space Agency organisation. In showing drivers how EVs could be beneficial to them, the developers hope that car owners will be encouraged to go electric.

With less than two months until the COP26 climate summit in Britain, EV8 Switch is just one of the ways the Government is backing greener initiatives, working with the industry to provide information that consumers need.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “This World EV Day, I want to not only provide easy access to the tools that people need to feel confident about making the switch but also to make sure that charge points are accessible, affordable and recognisable.

“That’s why we have already committed £1.3 billion to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure up and down the country. And as we look forward to COP26 and beyond, our vision is that the UK is at the forefront of the zero-emission transport future, creating thousands of green jobs in the process.”

The app will also have a compatibility section that shows drivers which car would be most suited to their needs, based on their activities. It can also tell vehicle owners where the nearest charge points are to them, helping to show how an EV could fit into their lifestyle.

To keep up-to-date with all road safety news, visit our blog. Or, for a free road marking quote, click here.