An innovative new system designed to speed up and simplify the process of applying for permission to work near a tramway has been launched at a major light rail event.
UKTram has joined forces with Edinburgh Trams and software firm Metrotech – part of Derby-based company Codemakers – to develop and trial an innovative solution for the time-consuming yet safety-critical process.
The innovative website portal and its associated mobile app, known as PERMIT+, is now available to all light rail operators following a lengthy development process and extensive trials in Edinburgh – the city where the system was launched during a recent summit for sector leaders.
Jamie Swift, Marketing and Commercial Manager at UKTram, explained: “This ground-breaking new system enables operators to view the status of applications from the initial enquiry through to completion of the work.
“They can even use the cloud-based system to manage payment of any applicable fees, thanks to a secure online payment and invoice system.”
Among its many benefits, PERMIT+ also enables process-driven functionality, including structured risk mitigation checks for engineers and an audit trail of actions, as well as secure communications.
The associated app enables on-site searches for engineers, giving them easy access to details of the works while applicants can carry their permit on a phone or other mobile device.
The system has been developed as Edinburgh Trams presses forward with its ambitious Trams to Newhaven project that will effectively double the size of the network and lead to a dramatic increase in ATW applications.
Jamie added: “The initial trials in Edinburgh have proved a huge success and we are delighted other operators can now benefit from this collaborative project that embraces new technology and systems of working to better manage resources whilst maintaining the highest safety standards.”
Antony Stevenson, Managing Director of Codemakers, commented: The Light Rail Summit was the perfect platform to launch Metrotech and our first product, Permit+.
“It also provided us with the opportunity to demonstrate the platform to interested parties, while learning more about the nuances of each systems’ processes and how we may adapt the platform to their requirements over time.”
Metrotech is a spin-off company of Codemakers, a team of web and mobile app developers specialising in smart software for light rail, and further details about PERMIT+ are available by contacting Jamie Swift, UKTram Marketing and Commercial Manager, by emailing jamie.swift@uktram.org.
Photo credit: Edinburgh Trams
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