Temporary traffic light hire — portable signals for your site
Portable traffic lights do one job: they alternate right of way where a road can't carry two-way traffic. Single-lane shuttle sections past roadworks, a half-closed bridge, a blocked lane with trucks crossing a live carriageway, site access on a busy frontage — anywhere two streams of traffic have to take turns, temporary signals do it without a person standing in the lane holding a paddle.
CiviEase hires temporary and portable traffic lights across Christchurch and Canterbury — for your own STMS-controlled site, or as part of a full traffic management package where we run everything.
Know the dates and the site?
Send it through — we'll identify the next step, usually within one working day.
What portable lights are for
- Alternating one-way flow (shuttle lanes). The classic use: one lane closed, two-way traffic sharing the remaining lane under signal control. On a long-duration job, lights replace a two-person Stop/Go crew for weeks at a time.
- Crossings and junctions. Multi-phase units handle three- and four-way layouts — a crossroads with one approach closed, or a trench crossing a junction in stages.
- Driveway and site access. Getting trucks in and out of a site that fronts a live lane, with signals holding traffic while the crossing movement happens.
- Pedestrian phases. Where the TMP needs to move foot traffic across a controlled point — signal-controlled crossings instead of hoping pedestrians and plant negotiate politely.
Types in the NZ hire market
Radio-linked pairs. Two trolley- or tripod-mounted heads, linked by radio, running shuttle mode. One operator with one remote can manage both ends, and radio ranges on modern units run to around 1.6–2 km line of sight — enough for any realistic shuttle section. Cable backup options exist for sites where radio link is marginal.
Multi-phase cart systems. Up to eight signal heads grouped for two-phase, junction or crossroads layouts, with radar vehicle activation so phases respond to actual traffic instead of a fixed clock.
Trailer-mounted dual units. Transport as one trailer, split and position on site — useful when the site access is tight or the heads need to sit exactly on the TMP layout marks.
Vehicle-activated vs fixed-time vs manual. Vehicle-actuated radar is the default the standards expect — fixed-time or manual operation has to be justified in the TMP as adequate for the site. If traffic volumes are low and predictable, fixed-time can still be the right call.
When the TMP calls for lights — and when it doesn't
Lights aren't automatically better than Stop/Go. The decision belongs in the risk assessment:
- Duration. Two days on a quiet street? Stop/Go paddles are cheaper and simpler. Three weeks on an arterial? Lights pay for themselves against crew wages fast.
- Visibility and geometry. Signals need both ends visible to drivers and positioned per the approved layout. Tight curves and crests can rule them out.
- Traffic volume and speed. Heavier, faster traffic favours signal control; low-volume rural work often suits manual control.
- Night and unattended operation. Lights can run unattended within the monitoring frequency documented in the TMP — a Stop/Go crew cannot.
The road controlling authority approves the method in the TMP, not on the day — so the lights-versus-paddles question gets answered at design stage. If we're designing your TMP, we'll tell you honestly which one your job needs, because we hire both.
Battery, solar and the autonomy question
Autonomy is the spec that decides whether lights are a hire-and-forget or a daily chore. Tripod shuttle pairs typically carry around 20 hours of battery — overnight, not a fortnight. Larger cart and trailer units with solar assist run to around two weeks between attention. Either way, the TMP documents how often the site is monitored and what happens on a fault. Compliant systems fail safe: a detected fault drops the signals to flashing yellow or all-off, with manual Stop/Go as the fallback — which means your contingency plan needs paddles and someone competent to use them.
Setup and compliance — read this before you book
Portable traffic signals are not general hire equipment. The compliance chain is:
- AS 4191-compliant, NZTA-registered hardware. The unit must be a compliant portable signal system on the NZTA register.
- Named in an approved TMP. The RCA must approve the use of portable signals before they're installed — the approval comes through the TMP, so the signals are specified in the plan, not improvised on site.
- An endorsed person in charge. The STMS controlling the site needs the portable-signals endorsement, or another person on site with it. Under NZGTTM's competency-based approach the substance is identical: demonstrable competence with the equipment.
- An STMS in control at all times. Same rule as every other piece of TTM gear we hire — no approved TMP, no qualified supervision, no hire. That's not us being precious; it's the difference between a legal site and an uninsured one.
If your own paperwork isn't sorted, that's fixable — we prepare TMPs and lodge corridor access requests as our day job, and the equipment list lands in the same plan. See how the CAR and TMP approvals fit together.
What it costs
The NZ hire market is mostly quote-only, but published benchmarks exist: one NZ hirer lists portable traffic lights at $150 per day plus GST, delivered within 24 hours. Treat that as market context, not our price — CiviEase rates depend on the unit type, hire length, delivery and whether the hire is bundled with TMP design.
For the rest of the kit a shuttle section usually needs, see cone and signage hire and VMS board hire for the advance warning. The full range is on the equipment hire hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much does temporary traffic light hire cost in NZ?
Published NZ benchmarks sit around $150 per day plus GST for portable signal sets from at least one national hirer. Most suppliers, including specialists, quote per job — the rate moves with hire duration, unit type (shuttle pair vs multi-phase), delivery distance and monitoring requirements. Send us your dates and site and we'll quote a firm CiviEase rate rather than an indicative range.
Can I set up portable traffic lights myself?
Only within an approved TMP that names the signals, with a qualified STMS controlling the site at all times and a person holding the portable-signals endorsement (or demonstrated equivalent competence under NZGTTM) overseeing the operation. The RCA must approve portable signal use before installation. Without those, hiring lights doesn't make the setup legal.
How long do portable traffic lights run between battery changes?
It depends on the class. Lightweight radio-linked shuttle pairs typically run around 20 hours — an overnight shift. Solar-assisted cart and trailer units can run up to roughly two weeks unattended. Your TMP documents the monitoring frequency either way, and we match the unit's autonomy to your inspection cycle when we quote.
Do the lights work if the radio link or a lamp fails?
Compliant systems are built to fail safe. A detected fault — lost link, failed lamp — drops the signals to flashing yellow or switches them off, and the approved TMP's fallback (usually manual Stop/Go) takes over. That's why we recommend keeping Stop/Go paddles on any signal-controlled site and a competent person briefed to use them.
Paperwork to pavement.
Send us what you have — we'll take it from there.