SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Connect A50 were one of the first companies in the U.K. to be awarded a contract under the governments D.B.F.O. (Design, Build, Finance and Operate) initiatives.

The contract called for the building of a new motorway link road and it’s subsequent maintenance between Stoke on Trent, near the M6 motorway in the West of England and Derby in the East Midlands, close to the M1 motorway. An element of the contract was for the provision of emergency telephones for use by stranded motorists, where the telephones are linked to the motorway police control room and the emergency breakdown services.

SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY

GAI-Tronics. have provided 44 Guardsman Cellular Telephones for positioning at various points along the new road. The use of the Cellular version has meant that Connect A50 have not had to resort to the more normal but more expensive installation of telephone cabling. All the telephones are fitted with S.M.A.R.T. to enable remote monitoring at GAI-Tronics. offices at Burton on Trent. Monitoring comprises the health state of each unit as well as the battery system, thus reducing the need for routine maintenance schedules.

Each telephone is provided with multi-button autodial facilities enabling the motorist to select the service they require rather than the more usual system which routes all calls to the police emergency control room. This particular facility was deemed to be of great importance by Derbyshire police.
In addition to the supply and installation of the system, GAI-Tronics. were also awarded a 5 year maintenance contract providing a 4 hour response to call out in the case of a unit failing.

SYSTEM DIAGRAM



This illustration shows the Guardsman emergency roadside telephone column, its link to the monitoring base station at GAI-Tronics and its cellular links to the emergency and roadside assistance services.