A Nova Scotia entrepreneur says he’s being met with red tape in his home province with getting his traffic safety device approved in Nova Scotia, even though it’s been approved elsewhere.

Mitchell Hollohan, the CEO of Site 20/20 Inc., is the creator of the Guardian SmartFlagger, an automated, flagged traffic device that makes construction sites safer. It’s essentially a portable traffic light manned by one person with a tablet.

He says it has the potential to save lives.

“They’re still on the job, managing the job, but from a safe location and not directly in front of traffic where they can be hit by a vehicle,” said Hollohan.

The 26-year-old started the project six years ago while at Dalhousie University. It’s since been approved in 38 states in the U.S. and eight Canadian provinces — but not Nova Scotia. Hollohan says he’s been working with the Nova Scotia government for five years to get the SmartFlagger approved in the province, but has been met with red tape.

“The one province that has continued to push us out is Nova Scotia — our hometown,” said Hollohan.

“I have a board of directors and investors who want to see this company grow, but they continue to ask me, why am I here? Why am I in a province that doesn’t support our mission, our goals?”

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