Bolton Council has upgraded more than 120 school crossing locations becoming one of the first UK authorities to adopt Ki., street lighting control manufacturer Lucy Zodion’s smart city management platform, allowing control of school crossing beacons remotely.
The move aims to improve safety, reduce operational costs, and remove the need for routine manual maintenance.
Replacing manual switching with remote scheduling
Previously, beacon timings were managed manually, requiring staff to visit each site to switch units on and off with a key.
This process was time-consuming, left limited scope for scheduling changes, and occasionally resulted in beacons operating outside school hours.
A local news report in June 2025, which highlighted several inaccurate timings, prompted the council to accelerate its plans to modernise the system.
Already experienced with Lucy Zodion’s central management system (CMS) for street lighting, Bolton Council piloted the Ki. Gen3 NB-IoT node, which uses a self-seeking roaming SIM to avoid the need for fixed collectors.
After successful testing, the technology was deployed across the borough during the summer break, with the full rollout completed within one week.
Paul Worthington, Lighting Manager at Bolton Council, says, “Switching our school crossing beacons to the Ki. platform has made a real difference.
“We’ve eliminated the need for manual site visits, improved accuracy, and ensured our flashing lights operate exactly when they should.
“It’s a simple change, but one that’s helped us improve safety for pupils and reduce operational costs at the same time.”
Lucy Zodion supported the installation through training, mapping, and schedule configuration, enabling the council to manage beacon timings centrally via the Ki. dashboard.
Victor Janecki, Area Sales Manager at Lucy Zodion, claims, “Bolton’s project shows the flexibility of Ki. in real-world applications beyond traditional street lighting.
“It’s been a pleasure to support the council in delivering a smarter, safer, and more efficient solution – one that’s already inspiring interest from other local authorities.”
Project outcomes
• More than 120 crossings upgraded to Ki. Gen3 NB-IoT control
• Remote scheduling of flashing beacon timings
• Reduced site visits and lower operational costs
• Real-time monitoring and visibility
• Resilient to the future switch-off of 2G and 3G networks
Lucy Zodion says Bolton Council’s adoption of remote control for school crossing beacons demonstrates how connected infrastructure can improve accuracy, reduce operational risks, and support wider smart city development.
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