Inspiration

PAQT and the province of Utrecht are developing a new platform for safety along the streetcar track

Reading time 5 min

By Thomas de Jong

After a tender process, PAQT and the province of Utrecht collaborated on an optimized process for both granting access and coordinating work on and around the track.

Trambaan case Provincie Utrecht - PAQT

Managing the streetcar network in the province of Utrecht is a dynamic process. Safety comes first, which is why only professionals who meet all safety conditions are allowed to work on and around the track. To prevent conflicts relating to these activities, which may result in delays or outages, it’s important for both network users and employees that work is properly coordinated. However, the existing platform ran on outdated technologies. After a tender process, PAQT and the province of Utrecht collaborated on an optimized process for both granting access and coordinating work on and around the track. 

wesley van poppelen
The project involved quite the intricacies, but PAQT quickly mastered them. As early as in the first demos, PAQT demonstrated its ability to thoroughly understand and optimize the process. As a result, the platform was developed in a smooth, transparent manner.
Wesley van Poppelen Safety and health coordinator and safety advisor, Trambedrijf Beheer & Onderhoud (streetcar company — management & maintenance) of the province of Utrecht

Online accreditation process 

Every week dozens of requests come in, ranging from a wrecked bench to larger maintenance. To gain access to the track and the area around it, individuals require a proof of access, which they can obtain by taking an online exam. Maintenance companies specify which employees should take the exam, and if these employees pass, they receive a digital proof of access. This digital proof is personal, can’t be shared, and ensures that employees get access when arriving on location, so they can carry out their activities. 

Coordinating activities and GIS maps 

In addition to the online accreditation for employees, the maintenance companies also specify the nature of the activities, after which a procedure is initiated to check how the activities relate to other activities. Thanks to the new platform, the process of gaining access has been reduced from several weeks to days, and the province can plan better and further ahead. 

The big advantage is that the province now also has a geographical information system that visualizes the activities and interruptions of service. That way, the employees of the province of Utrecht can see at a glance where activities are being carried out and how these may affect the routes. 

As a result of using the new system, almost 90% of all processes are handled digitally. 

More than just an application 

Staff and public safety, services for citizens, and an extremely high degree of application security were brought together in this application. Examples include 13 roles with 160 permissions distributed over a PWA, a public site with Laravel CMS, a section where we conduct exams, and the issuing of certificates. In addition, there’s a separate section for permits and switch commands: a complete workflow tool in which independent and interdependent workflows can be started, in which 10 of the 13 roles engage in live collaboration to perform and report on their activities in one of those four (or sometimes in all four) workflows. Furthermore, we’ve created a setup in which we make all information about permits and known issues on the track geographically available via a REST API that communicates with map information on an ArcGIS installation, which is fully managed by the province of Utrecht. Moreover, there are many PDF exports and a PowerBI integration for BI analysis.  

The facts at a glance: 

  • 13 rolls with 160 permissions 
  • Progressive Web App (mobile app) 
  • A public website (with Laravel CMS) 
  • A secured section for exams and certificates 
  • A complete workflow tool with workflows and reports 
  • An API connection that communicates with the province’s map information 
  • Extremely fast and user-friendly software 
  • Extensive audit logging 
  • Integrated with PowerBI for BI analysis 
PAQT Maurits Dijkgraaf

Further development of the platform

The launch of the platform doesn’t mark the end of the collaboration between the province of Utrecht and PAQT. These parties will continue to develop the system together. The next stage is expected to be completed before the summer. Want to know more? Get in touch. 

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