To help celebrate this year’s Edinburgh Pride (22 June), Siemens Mobility has replaced a series of green traffic signals along the Pride parade route with a range of diversity images.
Four special designs have been created to represent Lesbian, Gay, Trans and straight relationships, using the widely recognised gender symbols. Inspired by a similar set of traffic signals that was produced for London Pride, and subsequently adopted by other Pride festivals, these unique signals were produced by Siemens Mobility to help demonstrate Edinburgh’s support for LGBT+ diversity.
Siemens Mobility has changed 35 of the traditional green lights to different diversity symbols, with these remaining in place for the duration of the parade while the roads are closed to traffic.
Transport and Environment Vice Convener, Councillor Karen Doran of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re delighted to be helping to display these diversity symbols through the Old Town as part of this year’s Pride Festival. We’re proud to be an LGBT+ friendly Council and these special traffic signals drive home our message – we welcome everyone to our city.”
Wilke Reints, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility’s Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) business in the UK said,: “Diversity and inclusion is very important to us and our employees, and this is a great example of a simple idea having a major impact. It is one that was first introduced in London in 2016 and since then has gone from strength to strength. For the 2019 celebrations, we’ve worked with local authorities in six cities UK-wide to ensure more diversity symbols are on display than ever before to help raise awareness of LGBT+ issues.”
Wilke concluded: “I’d like to pass my thanks to Edinburgh City Council for engaging and working with us to use the new symbols on traffic controls in Edinburgh.”
* The diversity traffic signals are on display for the duration of the parade procession with roads closed to regular vehicles.
** Siemens Mobility has installed the new signals at its own cost.
