A bollard (Poller) is the name given to a specific type of vertical post, normally used to control or direct road traffic. While bollards may have started their life on the wharfs where they were used as a quay for mooring, they are used today mostly as a road safety and control mechanism. While many bollards are installed by city councils as a way to control traffic in certain areas and restrict cars from entering city zones

they are also purchases and used by private individuals to control traffic flow around the home or restrict access to parking spaces. The use of bollards is often seen in inner city areas, due to the many complications that exist in terms of traffic control. In addition to these standard uses, bollards are also used in the lighting industry, to describe small, post-style lighting fixtures.

Bollards have many uses, with their use often depending on their placement and their context. For example, a bollard light, a road bollard, and a shipping bollard may look much the same from a distance, but they have entirely different uses. The term bollard is a description of the geometry of the pole, which is generally short, round, and close to the ground. Lighting bollards can also be used as road bollards in some cases, serving a dual function as road control devices and lighting fixtures. However, in a modern context, road bollards are the most popular type of bollard structure, with fixed and movable bollards being the two most obvious examples. A fixed bollard is normally arranged in a line, where they are used to close off a road or path from vehicle traffic.

Movable bollards are a relatively new phenomenon, and act much like regular road bollards with a few added features. As their name would suggest, movable bollards can move, although they are fixed to a single position. Movable bollards are also known as rising bollards, as they can be lowered entirely below the road surface to enable traffic to pass, or raised to block traffic. Movable bollards are used for many reasons, and are especially popular in inner city areas and other spaces where traffic needs to be controlled in a complex fashion. Movable bollards are ideal for the management of time related or restrict road access, making them very useful for inner city apartment parking, parking garages, and mall areas.