BTS (Aust) Lands Major Contract

Australianness has landed a Melbourne manufacturer one of the country’s largest Braille and Tactile projects.

Proud registered user of the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo Braille Tactile Signs (Aust) has nearly completed Disability Discrimination Act-compliant identification signs for more than 20,000 bus stops across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

 Public transport operator Metlink awarded the contract to BTS (Aust) because it was a local manufacturer, BTS (Aust) account manager Claudia Gatt says.

``As far as we are aware this is currently the largest Braille and Tactile project in Australia,’’ Ms Gatt says.

``The value for vision impaired passengers is immense. It will make services accessible to those who have not been able to use them before and we are proud that our product has been chosen to deliver these benefits.’’

The signs will present the bus stop number and Metlink call centre phone number. Now people with a vision impairment will be able to find out what services depart from the stop and scheduled arrival times.

The family business which specialises in accessible and wayfinding signage has been an AMAG licensee since it started in 2002. Being able to display the famous green and gold symbol is an integral part of the business.

``One of our main competitors is an imported product, so we have been pushing that we are a locally manufactured product since day one,’’ Ms Gatt says.

``We are very proud to be part of the Australian Made Campaign. It really sets us apart from our competitors. Australian Made products are known for their quality and we feel that being a part of the campaign reflects our personal quality standards.’’