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VMS-A Excels in Urban Environments

As a company, we hold an unrivalled reputation within the High Speed and Traffic Management industries for providing reliable solutions and platinum level service. Recent years have shown us the true scope of our products, with the COVID-19 pandemic calling for clear and concise messaging in many new areas, such as retail and on high streets in town or city centres, the VMS-A played a central role in the COVID messaging strategy for so many customers all over the UK.

Over the years, the VMS-A has proven itself highly capable when it comes to urban deployments. As our mid-sized portable solar powered Variable Message Sign, the VMS-A is one of our most popular units, serving a wide range of applications. The pandemic really brought the VMS-A’s versatility to the fore, helping customers to see just how powerful it can be when it comes to messaging and communicating information in urban environments.

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What makes the VMS-A so perfect?

Striking a seemingly ideal balance between size and messaging capability for urban environments, the VMS-A boasts a smaller footprint than the VMS-C, but a larger screen than the HD Compact VMS, making it both versatile and powerful.

Designed for messaging on roads under 50mph, its small footprint allows it to be deployed in locations with limited space such as car parks or high streets. For urban environments, this is highly important and it boasts an impressive range of features that can be used by customers for a variety of traffic management and crowd control applications.

One of these features is its control capabilities. The VMS-A can be operated remotely via web browser or smart phone device and it can also be configured for scheduled operation and vehicle activation so that it doesn’t display messages when it is not needed. Messages can be updated quickly and easily, allowing site managers to be responsive to changes in the situation.

The VMS-A also boasts a 5-colour LED display that is ideal for displaying pictograms and logos, tackling language barriers and offering promotion of your brand in the right circumstances.

The unit is also perfect for integrations. Along with our sister company, Bartco UK, we have made many adaptations to the VMS-A that make it even more functional. Optional integrations such as CCTV or the ITS Integrated Environmental Sensor allow the VMS-A to double up as a multifunctional unit that can either increase security and safety or serve as  a low cost air quality monitoring station.

Couple these aspects with the unit’s integrated data collection radar, which, for many customers is a premium feature that really sets it apart from competing portable VMS available in the market. Using the sign’s data collection radar, customers can obtain data regarding traffic, capturing trend data on volume, speed, date and time of traffic.

This makes planning much easier, allowing customers with multiple projects in the area or on the same stretch of road learn more about the traffic-related risk as time goes on. Even better, with one of our signs deployed in the location of the works sometime beforehand, it can warn drivers of the upcoming disruption and collect data at the same time, helping with planning and traffic management, giving the drivers an opportunity to find a different route before the works start.

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Who can make the most out of the VMS-A?

These features can be particularly useful for utility companies, who may be required to conduct multiple works on the same stretch of road for maintenance or installation of the vital grid connections we have into our homes and businesses for gas, water and internet.

Traditional traffic management companies can massively benefit from using the VMS-A.

Working with a company who specialise in High Speed works, where often restrictions and requirements are much more stringent than urban traffic management brings its own benefits. An exceptionally high level of service from MVIS is augmented by the range of features the VMS-A packs in. Optional and default integrations such as the data collection radar or the environmental sensor may offer traffic management customers premium level features for a low cost relative to competing solutions, which then in turn allow our traffic management customers to offer those solutions themselves using our equipment.

The VMS-A’s messaging power can also be leveraged for displaying messaging and updates to the public in situations such as emergencies, festivals and events. Such situations may call for strong messaging especially if they attract large numbers of people, allowing the VMS-A to really come into its own.

We have even seen the VMS-A used by the likes of charities to help raise awareness of their fundraisers. Some fundraisers even affect the road network, such as Ashgate Hospice’s Sparkle Walk, which necessitates the closure of several roads in Chesterfield annually.

Multiple signs are deployed each year around Chesterfield in the lead up to the event to warn drivers of the upcoming disruption. These signs are then switched to close the roads at the right time for the event, combining road closures, promotion and traffic management warnings in the same deployment.

Local authorities also find some innovative uses of our VMS-A, especially for communicating campaigns and initiatives. A popular initiative  for local authorities is raising awareness of Park and Ride services as an alternative to driving in the city or town centre. Likewise, we have seen our units used to help promote ‘car free’ zones and for drivers to turn off idle engines in traffic by using the powerful messaging capabilities to help communicate with large numbers of people to help keep emissions down in our urban areas. 

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If you would like to learn more about our VMS-A, please contact us via our contact form. Alternatively, you can call us on 01629 580 570 to speak to one of our friendly team, or you can email us via sales@m-vis.co.uk.