In Touch provides cutting edge solution to winter roads maintenance

Keeping the highways clear can prove to be a real challenge for many county councils, especially in the arctic-style conditions the country experienced last year. With some parts blanketed by 12 inches of snow and the heaviest snowfall in England for over 18 years, effective winter roads maintenance was vital to try and keep the country moving. This was quite a task for the army of Snow Desk Managers around the country who had the responsibility of keeping our roads clear as well as looking after the safety of their men out in the field.

To make that task all the more easier this coming winter, a new cutting edge software system has been developed by highway industry software experts, In Touch Ltd of Morecambe. The company’s Winter Maintenance Software System will allow the Snow Desk Manager access to an array of real-time data and the ability to be fully in command of their fleet.

Gritting vehicles are fitted with a GPS tracking device and a special interface unit which records an array of useful data such as exactly when and where the vehicle is gritting, the rate of gritting, whether the salt is wet and thermo logical data. The Snow Desk Manager is able to track exactly where each driver is at any given time, whether they are gritting, and what speed they are travelling at. It also notifies the Snow Desk Manager whether the vehicle is managing to get through some of the most treacherous road conditions and if the emergency services need to be informed of any road closures.

All this valuable data is logged from start to finish provide a full audit trail of activities. As the system is web based, it is accessible 24-7 to ensure continuous monitoring from any location. Another major benefit of the In Touch system is that it allows the manager to estimate what time a particular road or route will be clear. This is of great assistance for local authorities when dealing with enquiries and complaints from the general public and assures them that the road conditions are being monitored and dealt with as efficiently as possible.

Not only does the system aid management, but it also allows the drivers to be more productive and concentrate on the job in hand without taking time out to make regular reports back to the office.

Keeping roads open, clear and usable is vital during the winter months. By using the In Touch Winter Maintenance System, gritting operations are far more efficient and that benefits the whole community, allowing local citizens to go about their daily routine with minimal disruption.

The software has already proved itself to be a very useful tool, allowing local authorities and contractors to track and record the whole gritting operation and access up to the minute, accurate information. Those in charge of planning winter maintenance would be strongly advised to take a look at In Touch’s system for the year ahead.

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19 May 2009