Following a rebrand and UK consolidation, BUKO Traffic and Safety continues its expansion in the UK
In July 2025, BUKO Traffic and Safety (BUKO) strengthened its UK presence by acquiring London-based business Keltic Traffic Management (Keltic) – a story BUKO revealed to us eight months ago as it was unfolding. As the temporary traffic management company joins us again, it has now completed a significant chapter and has officially rebranded to BUKO Traffic and Safety in the UK, bringing together Keltic, Hooke Highways and Road Traffic Solutions under a single identity. With both companies acquired in late 2024, followed by Keltic in 2025, it’s a rebrand that marks more than a change of name: it signals the completion of BUKO’s UK consolidation, and the start of its next phase of growth. The business has also changed ownership in recent months in a shift that Managing Director, Mark Gallimore, describes as a positive step for the UK business and the wider group to achieve its goal of becoming the next generation European market leader in temporary traffic management.
Mark talks us through what’s changed, as well as what’s coming next. “Bringing Keltic under the BUKO brand completes the UK business in the market,” he explains. “It’s also more than doubled our overall footprint, particularly in London, driving a significant expansion.” That expansion is already reshaping how the business operates on the ground, as BUKO extends its former Keltic depot, now branded as the West London depot, while in the process of acquiring a new, similarly sized site in Southeast London. With 70 per cent of the business currently concentrated in and around the capital, restructuring London operations around two core depots is a priority – one made sharper by the three reactive contracts BUKO holds in the city, each requiring a two-hour response.
BUKO’s rebrand reflects a broader effort to unify the business. “We’ve been busy integrating new systems, so the whole business runs on the same ERP platform, alongside bringing all of the financial systems together to ensure we’ve got one operating platform and one financial platform in the UK,” says Mark. The group’s drive for consistency also extends to strategy, through a new European initiative adopted in the UK, known as the BUKO Way of Working. This is designed to develop and share best practices aligned with BUKO’s ambition to become both the UK’s number one provider and Europe’s next-generation market leader.
One shared identity
Emerging from that initiative is 100% BUKO – an internal communications platform serving as the company’s primary channel for staff engagement. For a business built around field-based operatives and depots spread across the country, consistent messaging has previously been a challenge. “Whether you’re an operative or part of the senior management group, you get the same message at the same time, but you’re also able to interact with colleagues,” Mark notes. Supporting both department and team-specific communication, the platform’s flexibility has resulted in a positive shift. “It has really changed the landscape for this business, in terms of bringing everybody together as part of that cultural development journey,” he continues – a journey BUKO is reinforcing further through its BUKO Way of Working principles, aimed at uniting the three legacy businesses under one shared identity.
The significant cultural investment is matched by investment in equipment. BUKO has committed around £5 million to new traffic lights and vehicles, working in partnership with Traffic Group Signals on an 18-month refresh and growth plan. “One of our success factors is ensuring we have high-quality equipment, and that forms part of the BUKO Way of Working,” Mark highlights, adding that the investment is aimed towards sustaining the organic growth BUKO is experiencing, while ensuring the reliability and safety standards customers expect on every job.
Innovative technology
Perhaps the most striking development, though, is BUKO Digital; a service extended in April to modernise how the public is informed about roadworks. While traditional methods rely on advance warning signs and letter drops, which fail to reach commuters and one-off visitors passing through an affected area, BUKO Digital closes that gap by geofencing worksites and notifying people entering the zone through social platforms, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook – influencing sat-nav routing and offering an AI-powered WhatsApp digital assistant for works-related queries. The service is gaining traction with local authorities in the Southeast, keen to keep their communities informed of works taking place, and customers can now opt for advance notification messaging that carries their own branding.
“We ran a five-day campaign at the end of July which reached 85,000 people and made over 200,000 impressions, as the message was seen 2.6 times per person,” reveals Mark. In response to customer feedback, BUKO introduced Essential Services, offering advance notification alone for projects that don’t require the full end-to-end package. “This has been well received by clients, as it allows them to flex with us depending on the needs and size of their projects,” Mark explains. BUKO is taking the offering to market through webinars and roundtables, alongside a dedicated session at Highways UK – a presentation titled ‘Better Driving Experiences, Reducing Community Disruption,’ delivered on the Connected Community stand on 14 October. The service recently earned BUKO a finalist place for Best Use of New Technology at the Highways Awards 2026.
Strategic acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions continue to sit alongside organic growth as core pillars of BUKO’s UK strategy, with the Midlands, Northwest, and Yorkshire identified as key target regions over the next two to three years. For Q4 2026, priorities are clear: complete the London consolidation into its two strategically located depots, while developing a pipeline for future acquisitions heading into 2027. “We’ve very quickly become one of the largest provider of temporary traffic management in the London area,” Mark states, as the company’s position is fortified by the depot migration currently underway.
Having spent the past year bringing three businesses together under one name, system, and culture, BUKO is entering its next stage with clear momentum – bringing with it a digital offering to spark further innovation within the industry. With continued investment, an expanding footprint and a growing appetite for acquisitions, BUKO’s next chapter looks set to move quickly. “We’ll continue investing in our teams, operatives, and depot infrastructure, ensuring we’ve got the latest technology, reliable vehicles, and the highest-qualified operatives in the industry, providing the best possible service to our clients,” closes Mark. “We’re certainly not resting on our laurels!”
www.buko.co.uk
