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Kent County Council reappoints Telent to maintain one of the UK’s largest traffic signal networks

Kent County Council (KCC) has reappointed Telent to maintain its traffic signal network following a competitive tender process, extending a partnership that has supported the county’s roads for more than two decades.

As one of Telent’s largest traffic signal maintenance contracts, and one of the most significant of its kind in the UK, the renewal reflects the Council’s confidence in Telent’s ability to deliver consistent high quality, reliable services at scale, whilst minimising disruption to road users.

Traffic signals play a vital role in keeping Kent’s roads moving safely and efficiently. Any interruption to service can lead to congestion, delays and increased risk for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. By reappointing Telent, KCC ensures continuity of service, with the same experienced engineering teams, local knowledge and established processes remaining in place from day one.

Under the renewed contract, Telent will continue to provide proactive and reactive maintenance services for traffic signal junctions, pedestrian crossings and associated roadside technology throughout the county. The network includes a significant proportion of complex and legacy infrastructure, requiring specialist expertise to maintain performance, resilience and long-term reliability.

Kent is also among the largest users of Telent’s Optima Hub smart city platform, with 469 sites connected, representing over 60% of its crossings and junctions. This includes a substantial number of legacy and multi-vendor installations, demonstrating Telent’s ability to manage diverse and ageing infrastructure through a single, unified platform. Optima Hub provides real-time visibility across the network, enabling rapid fault identification and response, helping to minimise disruption for residents, businesses and commuters.

Telent’s reappointment was supported by its strong health and safety record and consistent service delivery, with no major incidents across the lifetime of the contract. Its collaborative approach and deep understanding of the county’s infrastructure have also enabled it to support additional projects and evolving technology requirements beyond the core maintenance contract.

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Maintaining a network of this scale requires not only technical capability, but deep local knowledge and a team that understands the infrastructure inside out. Being reappointed by KCC is a strong endorsement of our ability to deliver safely, consistently and with minimal disruption. Retaining the same expertise and processes ensures continuity from day one and allows us to continue supporting the county with reliable, responsive services.

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Paul Owen, Director – Traffic Technology

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Keeping Kent moving safely and smoothly means having a traffic signal network people can rely on. Telent has consistently done a great job maintaining our infrastructure and stepping in quickly when something needs fixing. We’re really pleased to be continuing this long-standing partnership, helping make sure journeys across the county stay dependable for everyone who uses our roads.

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Peter Osborne, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport

Kent CC

The renewal further strengthens Telent’s position as a trusted partner to local authorities across the UK, underpinned by a strong record of contract retention, safe delivery, and long-term collaboration.

Keeping critical networks safe, reliable and moving

Across the UK, local authorities and transport bodies trust Telent to maintain, upgrade and support their traffic signal networks.

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