The South African Road Traffic Safety Management Association (SARTSMA) exhibited at the recent 2018 SARF/IRF/PIARC Regional Conference, sharing an exhibition stand with Avery Dennison and Ennis-Flint. SARTSMA is a trade body for companies that manufacture and supply road traffic safety devices and associated products for use in South Africa.
The conference brought together road officials from all tiers of government, academia and professionals in the private sector, to assist in determining the road needs and formulating a way forward. This included the development of a cogent road financing policy and the provisioning and maintenance of an efficient, safe and affordable road network to serve the needs of the growing region.
Africa poses unique challenges for the provision and preservation of roads and road transport to serve an extensive range of needs in terms of economic development and social well-being. Demands range from providing national mobility, primarily for economic reasons, through to rural roads providing mobility and access to remote communities.
Conference delegates were addressed by 73 high-level speakers and had access to 24 exhibitors that had the opportunity to promote road related products and services to conference attendees. The SARTSMA/Avery Dennison/Ennis Flint stand was a hub of activity with various road traffic safety solutions on display, including videos of the latest road marking technologies. Garry Savill, SARTSMA Chairperson, seized the opportunity to engage with conference delegates and other exhibitors, to promote the members’ interest, as well as expanding on the benefits of the association to both prospective new members and client bodies. Particular interest was received from Vehicle Restraint System manufacturers and suppliers, which resulted in new membership applications to join SARTSMA.
Avery Dennison, a global supplier of retro-reflective materials for the transport industry, displayed road traffic signs, bearing a range of prismatic class 3 and class 4 sheeting products. These showed the importance of using fluorescent and high reflective technology to provide improved legibility and visibility of road traffic signs.
Ennis Flint, a worldwide leader in the traffic safety and road marking industry, provided quality and performance-driven solutions to delegates, which are designed to enhance traffic safety for all users, including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and pilots.
The last day of the conference included a site visit to the combined Mt Edgecombe/Cornubia Interchanges, soon to be one of the largest in South Africa. The incrementally launched main span at Mt Edgecombe is the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Delegates had the opportunity to engage with the design engineers and developers of the multifaceted and ground-breaking presidential project, which will include three phases of Go!Durban’s Bus Rapid Transit system under construction.
