GIBB, South Africa’s leading black-owned engineering consulting firm,in association with the National Department of Transport (NDoT), has implemented the nationwide installation of Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) in South Africa, specifically in Tshwane and Cape Town.

“This new prerequisite for all future building and town plans ensures the safety of visually impaired patrons, both using South African roads and internally in public buildings,” says Frano Combrinck, consultant to GIBB Engineering and a specialist independent consultant of TGSIs in South Africa.

In the wake of World Sight Day on 8 October 2015, TGSIs, commonly known as nodes, have played a pivotal part of visually impaired health and safety regulations across the world, and now can be seen right on our own roads in South Africa. Breaking this new ground in safety within South Africa, GIBB collaborated with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), Universal Access Consultants and a number of disability alliance groups, including the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB).

The implementation of the nodes was first introduced to South Africa during the 2010 World Cup which brought visitors from all across the globe. Since then GIBB has been working to transform the streets of South Africa in line with worldwide standards.

“There’s a holistic advantage for the nodes, as they are inclined not only for visually impaired pedestrians, but also for ease of use for people in wheelchairs, trolleys, prams and the elderly members of the community,” said Combrinck.

Since 2010, this new level of safety for the visually impaired has assisted with a way-finding system included in external and internal surfaces to help guide pedestrians and define routes. However, more importantly, they also warn a pedestrian of imminent hazards, such as warning the pedestrian of a dropped kerb at a pedestrian crossing, the end of walk ways and intersections. The nodes are designed to be sensed with either a walking cane or by stepping on them to ensure fewer accidents on the road.

This health and safety milestone has been in planning for more than a decade with much controversy and confusion around the correct design and construction of tactile pedestrian ramps at intersections in South Africa.

GIBB, in conjunction with Combrinck, has developed a standard book of drawings for the City of Tshwane entitled “Standard Construction Detail and Design Standards for Intersection Pedestrian Crossings affected by the Bus Rapid Transit Infrastructure”. The document complies to, and incorporates, international best practice in consultation with the National Department of Transport (NDoT) and other major stakeholders.

The advancements in safety does not end there, GIBB is working on incorporating more technology-based products into their guidelines to assist the visually impaired.

For further information please contact Kerry Hodgkinson on 011 709 9686 or Kerry.Hodgkinson@ogilvypr.co.za