Carsley Group is trialling a new traffic management system, Gazzign, at its BP site on the A1 at Cromwell, near Newark.

The system comprises LED signs above each pump which indicate the availability of each grade at the pump. It does this by listing each grade at the pump and displaying either a green tick or a red cross next to them.

There is also a message box on the sign which can provide customers with other information such as whether it is ’pay at pump only’, ’long hose’, or ’left hand closed’. It can also be used for promotional purposes, such as highlighting availability of Costa Coffee or deals in the shop. The screens are operated remotely from a simple-to-use touchscreen system based in the sales kiosk.

Gary Sims, managing director of Gazzign, said: "When I demonstrate the system, and show all the uses, people are amazed no one has thought of it before."

He said the system can help in many different ways. For customers, it removes the aggravation of pulling up at a pump only to find it is out of order, but it also helps staff, particularly when they are working at night alone, and unable to leave the kiosk. For instance, if there is a breakdown or spillage, the lane can be signalled as shut, or if a pump is running low it can be closed to manage stocks. A new optional plate recognition camera has just been introduced to improve security and lower the risk of drive-offs. A message on the text unit informs drivers of this.

Sims said the screens are designed to be highly robust and the LED lights have a 100,000-hour lifespan. With the low-energy requirements of LED lights he said it would cost around £7.50 to run a screen for an entire year.

He said the trial at Cromwell had been running for several weeks and feedback has been excellent. "Simon Mackay of the Carsley Group also thinks it’s great. Customers have praised the simplicity and clarity of the system and are amazed that it isn’t already standard equipment on all forecourts," he added.

Gazzign’s UK distributor is PFS Fueltec.

www.gazzign.com

01442 875071

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