Why and When To Hire Traffic Control in Sydney?

Ensuring the safety of not only your team but the public as well is a vital concern. It’s a common misconception that only local councils or businesses undertaking large-scale projects need traffic control. If your operations occur on or near a road, then regardless of the size of the operation, it’s best to assume you need a traffic management plan.

‘Traffic’ doesn’t just refer to cars. Depending on your location, you may need to plan around and provide instructions to drivers, motorbike riders, cyclists and pedestrians. You know traffic control when you see it: cones, signage and workers in hi-vis clothing are familiar sights for us all. However, safe, effective traffic control requires serious planning. From procuring permits to providing the right equipment, there is no shortage of traffic management requirements to fulfil before your team can step out and begin directing vehicles where they need to go.

Sydney is a city where the kinds of projects that require traffic control thrive. The government is upgrading roads, new developments are in full swing, and the population of Australia’s largest city continues to grow. How do you know when to hire traffic control in Sydney? With something as crucial as safety on the line, it’s important to find professionals you can trust.  

Why is Traffic Management Important?

We’ve all found ourselves stuck in traffic jams due to roadworks, accidents and other unforeseen events. In the inner city, it’s far from unusual. Fortunately, there are signs that let us know in advance when it’s time to slow down, change lanes or change course.

Traffic control serves a similar purpose. When a project disrupts the regular traffic flow, traffic control allows passers-by to safely move through or avoid the construction area and protects the safety of workers moving about.

Traffic management involves several key elements, including equipment and technology, relevant road closure permits, skilled and licenced staff and a plan in place to keep it all together. Trying to keep on top of all the relevant traffic management requirements with your own business to run takes a lot of work.

So when do you hire traffic control in Sydney, and why? There are several reasons why traffic control is important when working close to the road.

Safety

The primary purpose of traffic control is to ensure the safety of everybody in the area, including motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and workers. Traffic controllers commonly accomplish this using several methods: signs and traffic lights, designated lanes, pedestrian signals, warning signs, changes to speed limits and on-site personnel, among others.

Efficiency

Traffic control directs and diverts vehicles and minimises delays. While this is obviously important for safety reasons, it’s more efficient too. It keeps traffic running smoothly and stops it from turning into congestion. Disorderly traffic is inconvenient for everyone at best and downright dangerous at worst.

Project success

Traffic control allows people and vehicles to pass your worksite in an orderly way and minimises disruptions to your operations. A safe working environment free from interruptions lets your staff focus on the task at hand.

Legal requirements

When you need to close a lane or divert traffic away from its usual course, there’s a lot that goes into getting clearance. A traffic control professional will ensure you acquire the relevant permits and stay on the right side of the law while carrying out your operations.

Knowing when to hire traffic control in Sydney is important because certain events and occasions will always require it.

When is Traffic Control Needed?

When do you need to hire traffic control in Sydney? Traffic management requirements are always necessary anytime the following events or circumstances impede the regular flow of vehicles and pedestrians:

Construction

Any time construction occurs on or near the road, you need to hire traffic control in Sydney for your worksite. SSTC can ensure that all your traffic control measures comply with the Australian Standards for Traffic Control Devices (AS1742) as well as the rules of your local council. Documents you commonly need for construction traffic control include a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP), Traffic Control Plan (TCP) and a Swept Path Diagram, which analyses the movements and paths of different vehicles involved.

Some equipment commonly used for traffic control include traffic cones, roadwork signs, concrete barriers, portable traffic signals and communication devices like two-way radios.  

Roadworks

Local councils and government agencies carry out many of the roadworks in New South Wales, although private developers can also do so. The State Government’s Transport for NSW is responsible for overseeing and regulating roadworks in the state. Permits you may need to acquire include a Works Authorisation Deed, a Work Zone Traffic Management Plan (WTMP) and a Permit for Road Closures and Lane Closures.

Equipment needed for roadworks can include signs, cones, bollards, portable traffic signals and communication devices.  

Special Events

Sydney is known for special events, from concerts to festivals to sporting matches. Yet a special event is one of those occasions when hiring traffic control in Sydney is a given. Submissions of traffic and road closures have to be submitted to the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee a minimum of 12 weeks before any scheduled event. You’ll also need to make a detailed Traffic Management Plan (TMP) and notify emergency services of road closures. This is on top of all the non-traffic related permits required to make an event happen.

You’ll need the usual equipment, such as warning lights, barricades and traffic cones during a special event in Sydney, on top of crowd control, medical supplies etc.

Emergencies

At SSTC, we have a dedicated emergency response team available 24/4 to control traffic in emergencies like car accidents, structural failures or spills. When you need to hire traffic control in Sydney urgently, our highly trained staff can be there to direct the passing traffic safely. Working closely with local authorities, we have all the necessary safety equipment, such as roadwork signs, portable traffic signals and two-way radios.  

Effective Sydney Traffic Management and Control at SSTC

A company with more than 25 years’ worth of combined experience, Site Security and Traffic Control (SSTC) provides traffic management services, including traffic control and construction traffic, throughout the Sydney region.

Trusted by the largest construction companies in Australia, we can handle all of your traffic management requirements from the beginning to the end of the project. From roadway construction to emergencies, we can be on the scene to protect the safety of your crew and the road users in the area.

Our services include a comprehensive traffic management plan, traffic control signals and devices and a fleet of Utes fully equipped to handle any traffic situation. Our staff members are fully trained and certified in traffic control and management. Due to our experience in the industry, we have strong relationships with both private and public organisations that we can liaise with to provide traffic control services.  We also make it easier to obtain permits from the relevant authorities such as the police, council, airport and TMC.
Whether you’re ready for a free quote or need more information about when to hire traffic control in Sydney, contact the team at SSTC.