Travels with TMS – Reflections on 25 Years in Road Safety
At TMS Consultancy, our team has decades of experience delivering Road Safety Audits and road safety projects across the UK and internationally. To mark his 25-year milestone with the company, Associate Director of Technical Services, Hammy Aulak, reflects on some of the remarkable places his career has taken him and the projects that have shaped his journey.
The following is Hammy’s personal account of his career in the road safety industry during his 25 years with TMS.
Recent summer site visits to carry out road safety audits in some wonderful locations – Sandown on the Isle of Wight and the seafront at Barmouth in Wales, set me thinking about the many places this career has taken me.
This year marks a milestone: 25 years of continuous service, having joined TMS Consultancy as a Senior Engineer in 2001. In that time, I have undertaken almost 6,000 audits. TMS is often thought of as a West Midlands firm, but our work extends nationwide and overseas. Our teams travel regularly across the UK, from the south coast to the north of England, and on to Wales, Scotland, Ireland and well beyond.
Over those 25 years I have been fortunate to contribute to projects in a remarkable range of places. A few stand out:
Dubai, UAE
My first overseas assignment, supporting a sign manufacturer by assessing high-risk sites for the introduction of high-retroreflective signage.
Aksay, Kazakhstan
A field project evaluating road safety across a large oil and gas complex, with further studies on urban public highways and rural routes.
European Road Federation Demonstration Project
An international initiative delivering live road safety assessments in Brussels, Oslo and Barcelona.
Italy (Rome, Pisa and Milan)
A university-led project demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of low-cost collision reduction measures on high-speed inter-urban roads.
Qatar
Road Safety Audits for major expressway improvement schemes ahead of the country hosting the World Cup in 2022.
Edmonton, Canada
Road safety advice for proposed light rail transit systems.
Ireland – Republic and Northern
Extensive travel auditing national and trunk road schemes from preliminary design through to construction, including the Luas tram system and the Dublin Port Tunnel. The work took me to Dublin, Belfast, Donegal, Waterford, Cork and Galway, among many other places, as roads were upgraded to dual-carriageway and motorway standard.
UK
Closer to home, I have carried out road safety audits the length and breadth of the country. Among the most memorable settings are the Western Highlands of Scotland, the coastlines of Devon and Cornwall, Snowdonia, the Lake District and Northumberland.
Travel can become routine, but this career has never felt that way. It has been a genuine privilege to experience such variety through my work and I’m grateful to TMS and the colleagues who’ve made it possible. Here’s to the next chapter and the next site visit.
Hammy Aulak, Associate Director of Technical Services
Get in Touch
Whether your project is in the UK or overseas, TMS Consultancy has the experience and expertise to support you. For advice on Road Safety Audits or other road safety engineering services, please call us on please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or alternatively please email Lorna Styring or request a quote using the link below.