The expertise of Brett Landscaping in providing specialist kerb solutions for buses has been instrumental in the redevelopment of the coach drop off point and waiting area at Twycross Zoo.
The zoo completed an overhaul of its parking facilities in 2010 during the construction of its Himalaya Centre, including a new drop-off area for coaches made up of six dedicated bays.
“Coach trips from schools and other groups represent one of our biggest audiences and we wanted to optimise our drop-off area to make it as safe and practical as possible for visitors to the zoo when embarking and disembarking,” explains Louise Bhara, Estates Manager at Twycross Zoo.
“After researching the options available, we decided that the Kassel Bus Boarding Kerb from Brett Landscaping represented the ideal solution for us – and our customers,” she adds.
Kassel is specifically designed to allow coach and bus drivers to position their vehicles close to the kerb – in many cases leaving a gap of below 40mm – for fast, safe and easy passenger access. The system’s increased safety and convenience over conventional kerbing makes it particularly beneficial for disabled and visually impaired whilst its unique design profile makes it highly popular with the fleet operators as it minimises expensive wear and tear on their vehicle tyres.
The designers then sought to complement the use of Kassel and reinforce visitor safety within the drop-off zone at Twycross Zoo by also using another Brett Landscaping specialist kerb system, the Trief Vehicle Containment Kerb. The unique design profile of Trief, which has been well proven in over fifty years’ service on Britain’s roads, acts not only as a visual deterrent to drivers but can also help to redirect vehicles away from the kerb and therefore away from pedestrians.
In this instance the combination of two distinct kerb systems provided Brett with an opportunity to improve the functionality of the complete installation. Since Trief is higher than Kassel, drivers are clearly directed to the optimal area for their vehicles in to ensure that coaches dock correctly which thereby helps to speed traffic flow rates and avoid vehicle over-runs. Meanwhile the extensive range of corners, quadrants and accessories associated with Trief have enabled Brett to create curved ends for the bays for improved aesthetics and safety.
Since Trief and Kassel kerbs are generally not used in conjunction Brett Landscaping also had to work with the client to design and manufacture a specialist transition kerb unit to bridge the sections between Trief and Kassel so that the kerb line flows seamlessly from zone to zone.
“The drop-off area has been put through its paces with hundreds of coaches bringing visitors to the Zoo since 2010, and the Brett Landscaping kerbing has worked exceptionally well in providing seamless embarkation and disembarkation for coach passengers,” confirms Louise Bhara.