Jan/Feb 2006

A bus company, Northern Ireland-based Translink, is one of the latest organisations to fit the Bridgewatch low bridge warning system from Bridgeclear in vehicles. The units have been specified for 80 recently-delivered double-deckers with Alexander Dennis bodywork, and are now to be fitted in 25 double-deck coaches from Spanish manufacturer Ayats. They will also be fitted in a further 29 double-deck buses currently on order, again with Alexander Dennis bodies.

Bridgewatch monitors the position of vehicles by GPS, and checks their progress constantly against a database of known low bridges, setting off various warnings in the cab if it finds any in the vicinity.

Translink runs buses throughout Northern Ireland, and says it has found that Bridgewatch offers the best standard of warning in relation to low bridges and bus station awnings. The organisation has included the awnings at Belfast Europa and Bangor bus termini in the database installed in its Bridgewatch units.

James Erwin, the engineering manager at Translink, says the company is also investigating the possibility of including other hazards in the system - for instance, narrow roads and soft verges.