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Shining the spotlight on Jon Carlisle

Shining the spotlight on Jon Carlisle

Jon Carlisle has a unique perspective on traffic management – as a former London black cab driver, he’s spent more hours than he cares to remember sat in tailbacks on congested roads. Although he enjoyed driving the streets of the capital, after 12 years Jon decided to change occupation and become an operative at our D6 depot in Radlett.

“I’d spent years driving in the city, but when Covid-19 hit, it spurred me on to change career and find a job that didn’t confine me to a car all day,” says John. “When I heard about the role at SRL, I was really excited about the opportunity to get outdoors and take on something that was more physically demanding.”

Capital gains

Blessed with a photographic knowledge of the London road network, Jon was the perfect candidate for the role and he soon settled into his new career with SRL. Jon is one of three operatives that works out of D6 – one of our busiest depots in the country.

Covering much of London and the surrounding suburbs as far as Luton and Milton Keynes, Jon is a very active man and he spends his working day delivering and collecting our equipment, setting kit up on site, completing battery exchanges and servicing and repairing our temporary traffic lights.

“It’s a varied role and I travel a lot, which I enjoy. Of course, it really helps that I know the London roads so well – I never get lost and I can always find an alternative route if I need to,” says Jon. “I like being outdoors and the physical demands of the job have been very positive for me – I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in!”

Patience pays off

A natural trouble-shooter, Jon likes helping to keep the London roads moving by finding and fixing faults as quickly as he can. “You have to be patient and persistent in this job,” says Jon. “If there is a fault with the lights, sometimes it can be difficult to find what’s wrong. I may have to go through every single light to diagnose the problem, but I always do find the fault in the end. I like the challenge – it’s really satisfying to get to the bottom of things.” 

John is used to working under pressure and on some of the south’s busiest roads. “I had a call-out to a major road in Luton one evening recently and when I arrived the 3-way system wasn’t operating properly. After running through all my checks, I realised the radio wasn’t working, so I changed it and the system was back up and running. It’s a great part of the job to fix issues and to make a difference to how our roads run.”

Surely, Jon must have experienced his fair share of curses from exasperated drivers and pedestrians, whilst working in the city? “It can be a tricky part of the job and unfortunately you do come across frustrated people from time to time. I always deal with situations in a calm and rational way and focus on getting any problems fixed as quickly as possible.” 

Jon clocks up many hours a week in the vibrant capital, but he enjoys the rapid pace. “I had two new hips fitted six years ago and I was struggling, but since I came to SRL, they’ve got much better. The physical demands of the job keep me fit and focused. And luckily for me, I like getting up at the crack of dawn, so I’m always out there as early as I can to put our lights out.”

Teamwork is everything

Jon enjoys working as part of his team and everyone looks out for each other. “I’m fortunate to work with a great bunch of lads and everyone is very supportive. We do all work hard, but it is great to see our efforts being appreciated within the company. SRL is getting bigger and busier all the time, so we’ll always be on our toes, but that’s a good thing.” 

A Dad of two, Jon is a family man, and manages to combine fatherhood with his career. “When I’m on call at the weekend, I get up early to put our temporary traffic lights out and I can be back home before the children even wake up,” says Jon. “This flexibility means I can spend the day with them, but still work as well.”

Jon is proud to work for an industry-leader and is clearly motivated to succeed. “SRL is the fastest-moving business in the industry, right at the cutting edge of development. But despite its growth, it cares about its people. When my son was very ill, I felt supported by the company, which made an enormous difference. There are few companies of that scale that look after people like SRL does.” 

People really are what makes SRL. We’re proud of our team and we’re committed to supporting everyone during their working lives at SRL.

Due to continued expansion and growth, we have opportunities for more brilliant people to join the team. If you’d like to get in touch, please email recruitment@srl.co.uk.

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