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Introducing…Alistair Gollop FIHE MIET

What role do you have in the sector?

Although a large proportion of those working in the sector come from a civil engineering background, I came into the industry from a different route. Having studied electronic engineering, my early career was spent working for a number of companies as a production test engineer. I worked on a variety of different types of technology during that time and it provided me with an inquisitive approach to work. I went on to work for a company that made inductive loop vehicle detection cards. Through various company acquisitions, I became responsible for the production/test relocation of Ferranti and GEC Traffic Signal Controller products to the Peek Traffic factory in Hampshire.

I then decided to get more involved with these products and started coding traffic signal controllers, eventually setting up the Peek Configuration Department. It was this role that really first exposed me to the world of traffic engineering and ignited an enduring interest in how technology can be used to make mobility both safer and more efficient.

Following further roles with Peek Traffic, including working on SCOOT deployments and providing technical support internationally, along with managing installation and maintenance activities across Southern England, I decided to move into consultancy.

Joining Mott MacDonald, I brought a huge amount of practical experience with a broad range of equipment and systems within the framework of standards and specifications for installations. This was transformative for me because of the requirement for Continued Professional Development (CPD), to keep up to date with evolving standards and new technologies.

I soon realised that there is a real need to share best practice and new requirements with colleagues and clients, and this is why I have written numerous articles for publications and regularly present and moderate at conferences or in online articles and videos.

I am also the author of the well-respected traffic signals and traffic control books, which are used extensively for new entrants to the sector. Over the years I have been responsible for setting up learning resources within companies I worked for, including as the Global Transport Technology Champion at Mott MacDonald.

I am particularly pleased therefore that I am currently the chair of the Professional Development portfolio, as part of my role as a member of the IHE Council.

Tell us about your new initiative

My ITS Now initiative exists to promote best practice and professional development within the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) sector. ITS Now provides resources ranging from videos (subscribe to the @ITSNow YouTube Channel), reference books and guidance documents through to informative references and educational content.

The reach and scope of this initiative has been widened by the increasing involvement of a range of key industry organisations from across the sector, including establishing Professional Development Partnerships (PDP) with the IHE and Intelligent Transport Systems UK, along with being made an Official Media Partner for the 2024 ITS World Congress in Dubai.

What is your day job?

I am a freelance ITS consultant at the Alistair Gollop ITS and Traffic Signal Consultancy. Prior to this, I was a technical principal at Mott MacDonald along with being an Atkins and Beca alumnus, among others. I have over 30 years of in-depth international experience in the ITS sector, resulting in an extensive specialist knowledge of traffic systems and their applications, spanning diverse roles overseeing installation and maintenance as both a contractor and as a client.

As a consultant, I am involved in designing and specifying installations, creating strategy documents for clients ranging from local and national authorities and writing standards and guidance documents.

As well as undertaking a broad range of general ITS consultancy and training, I am a technical advisory executive working with companies (typically at C-Suite level) in the UK and abroad, to provide advice and guidance for product localisation and segment appropriateness. I am also involved in industry engagement, providing strategic introductions and technical business development support.

What do you love about highways?

There is a huge range of engineering disciplines in the highways sector and therefore a huge range of opportunities to work in this area, with varied pathways to join it and no single underpinning qualification or previous work experience. Also, the great bit is, the skills acquired in the sector are required worldwide, so this is an area that provides the chance to work on interesting projects all over the globe. You also get to see tangible results from your work.

Joining the IHE provides a supportive framework to develop your career by giving you the chance to obtain the professional registration and recognition employers seek.