Road signage: Moka Smart City and GDS Group team up

Signage is primarily the set of road signs and other road markings to guide public space users; but it is also a way to stand out! “Signage is a key element of an area’s identity. Our work with the GDS Group therefore took into account both the technical and design aspects to further develop our identity,” says the Manager of Moka Management Company, Régis Maubernard.

A large-scale experience for the area

The expertise of the GDS Group, which has a proven track record in France and its overseas territories, was essential to design innovative signage solutions for the region. “GDS wanted to have a long-term presence in Mauritius and they have demonstrated their ability to adapt to a territory that was still new to them at the time of our meeting,” says Régis Maubernard. The design office draws on the know-how of WP Signalisation, a French manufacturer of aluminium panels and sheets with a 10-year warranty, to create signage tools.

This partnership has enabled a rethinking for safer signage, which often plays an essential role, says Régis Maubernard. “Some examples are emergency services, firefighters and law enforcement agencies that need to be able to access specific locations in the area, where every minute can prove vital. The positioning chain must therefore be complete and efficient, and this is why we have also taken into account the ‘addressing’ aspect in this global picture (neighbourhood, street and number). This approach will be progressively implemented on the streets and buildings of Moka Smart City. To date, we have 120 new signs installed on 70 posts.”

Guidance and visibility are other key features of the signage, which highlights the area’s landmarks – from schools to sports centres and other leisure facilities like Le Pouce Mountain. Better guidance encourages the people of the region and smart city to make full use of these places and contributes to their visibility.

GEROBA, a heritage management application

This application is a long-term endeavour by Jean-Luc Roques with a database serving two platforms: GEROBA Master for asset managers; and GEROBA Mobile for employees and field workers. It helps make public space management, communication and monitoring of tasks easier and is used for sign placement and management in Moka Smart City.

“We are working on Phase 2 of the smart city signage and want to involve more public authorities (RDA, TMRSU, District Council) to continue modernising the signage in order to provide a safer and better experience. For this second phase, we will continue to use the GEROBA tool, which is the benchmark in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS),” says Régis Maubernard.

These well thought-out and future-ready initiatives are designed to guarantee safety and progress for the people of Moka!