The report builds on a survey of more than 100 businesses to examine the export potential of the sector and how industry and Government can work together to promote UK transport technology capabilities on the international stage. ITS UK calls the report “a significant development for the industry, and will allow us to prioritise our overseas engagement going forward”.

Running from 2 to 5pm on 9 November, the event will provide the opportunity for the sector to hear about the latest developments across the global sector.

Register to attend here

The event takes place at the Railway Industry Association in London.

(Picture – ITS UK)

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Speaking in a session in the Smart Traffic and Parking Theatre at Highways UK, Mr Capes, who is also ITS Policy Lead at the Department for Transport, explained that the Department will contact Local Authorities’ Chief Executives shortly with details of the funding, ahead of the challenge process formally opening during Autumn.

The £30m Traffic Signals Obsolescence Grant (TSOG) is funded from the DfT’s wider Highways Maintenance Block and includes £10 million to be shared between all English local highway and transport authorities outside of London, and £20 million of targeted funding which will be awarded to areas with particular obsolescence issues through challenge processes opening this autumn.

The remaining two grants are the £20 million Green Light Fund (GLF) to tune up traffic signals to better reflect current traffic conditions and get traffic flowing and the£20 million Intelligent Traffic Management Fund (ITMF) to deploy advanced technology for traffic signals, making use of emerging technologies to optimise traffic flow and balance traffic across city centres. These will also be awarded following challenge competitions open to English local highway and transport authorities outside of London.

Mr Capes explained that the challenge element of TSOG, and the challenges for GLF and ITMF will be open concurrently during November and December 2023. Once bids have been submitted, they will be assessed during January with award letters sent out at the end of February, with money available to authorities in March 2024. Successful bidders will have two years to deliver schemes and will be required to report on progress regularly during the delivery period.

As with the 2021 Traffic Signals Maintenance allocation, where 39 authorities were awarded either £250,000 or £500,000 to upgrade or fix traffic signals, this application process is being overseen by the Transport Technology Forum and managed by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG).

(Picture – LCRIG)

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This week’s Highways Voices is a must-listen if you work in the traffic signals industry, as we hear all about three new pots of money totalling £70 million to be spent on improving traffic signals across England.

In the Transport Secretary’s plan for drivers money was earmarked to upgrade traffic signal systems, tune up traffic signals to better reflect current traffic conditions and get traffic flowing, and to deploy advanced technology for traffic signals, making use of emerging technologies to optimise traffic flow and balance traffic across city centres.

The money’s distribution will be administered through the Transport Technology Forum, with the help of LCRIG, and TTF Manager Darren Capes, who is ITS Policy Lead at the Department for Transport, gave an indication on distribution of the funds when he spoke at LCRIG’s Strictly Highways last week.

In this special Highways Voices, you hear what he had to say. Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts,Spotify,Amazon Music,Google PodcastsorPocket Casts and never miss an episode!  

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In launching the Department for Transport’s Plan for Drivers, the Transport Secretary Mark Harper confirmed the nationwide roll-out of the NPP pilot, which will enable drivers to use the app of their choice to pay for parking, instead of having to download multiple apps to use in different car parks.

There will be no standalone NPP app. Instead, the NPP provides the data exchange to enable multi-seller payments, as well as a way of sharing parking information, standardising commercial relationships, and above all improving the service to users.

The Transport Technology Forum’s Smarter Parking Working Group has already given a detailed webinar attended by more than a hundred local authority representatives to give background to the plan.  Working Group Chair Sarah Randall explains: “The TTF’s Parking Working Group has drawn together experts in parking and technology to support the DfT by explaining what the NPP does, how it works and how it simplifies the process for both local government and drivers.  It delivers a seamless parking payment experience meaning you don’t have to use whichever parking provider has a contract in a local area, instead you use whichever app you prefer.

“The TTF can help authorities with understanding procurement, provide support around the messaging to drivers, and the reasons and process behind the NPP.”

At the recent TTF webinar, four fifths of local authorities who responded said they were interested in joining the NPP, but needed more details.  These details will be provided, with context, by the TTF Smarter Parking Working Group.

“We urge all local authorities and parking payment providers not yet joined up  to get together and embrace the NPP,” added Mrs Randall, who is Director for Local Government and Propositions for Agena Group and was previously Assistant Director of Parking and Traffic at London Brough of Newham.  “I see the NPP as changing in a similar way to when cash machines allowed customers of any bank to use any machine, which wasn’t always the case.

“Although Local Authorities don’t have to get involved in the NPP, if they don’t they will miss out on simplifying parking for their residents and visitors, reducing their costs because they won’t have to go reprocure parking services every three-to-five years, which means easier administration for themselves.”

The next TTF Smarter Parking Working Group webinar will be on Friday 3 November, when the NPP’s implementation and timescales will be discussed.  All local authorities are urged to attend .  More details and how to sign up can be found on the TTF website.

(Picture – National Parking Platform)

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Speaking to the JCT Traffic Signals Symposium in Nottingham he set out three challenges to use traffic signals to deliver better, more reliable journeys, promote active travel by making it easier for vulnerable road users and people who walk and cycle to access our roads more safely, and to prepare for the future technology and travel needs.

“You could argue autonomous vehicles are still some way off, but connected vehicles are here now. The data is there, the comms is there and the in-vehicle capability is there,” he said. “That’s only going to increase and that will change the way the road system works. We are the gatekeepers for the technology and we need to build now for the future – we don’t want to paint ourselves into corners.”

He insisted he is not speaking officially for DfT but outlined his views on what he’s looking for in his role within the Department to maximise the benefits of technology on the local road network.

Mr Capes congratulated the industry for effectively using £15 million DfT Traffic Signals Maintenance funding issued in 2021 to accelerate maintenance and improvement of traffic signals, saying the money has been spent on around 240 schemes and analysis is now showing how successful this has been.

He has been working with INRIX to use floating vehicle data to analyse how traffic patterns have changed before and after the signals changes, and the results have been “extremely promising”.

“We’re seeing when authorities used the money to improve traffic flow, we saw an average 10% improvement,” he said. “We really aced that, and proved to other people in the Department and Treasury that there is tangible benefit in making this investment.”

He also addressed obsolescence and promised the Department is working on issues around halogen lamps and legacy communications.

We are developing digital TROs, digital traffic signal data standards, the National Parking Platform, the National Access point for Transport Data, working across Europe to use vehicle data for safety purposes. There is a lot of work Government is doing in the background to support those three challenges.

He also urged the audience to be involved in the Transport Technology Forum. “It does a different thing to JCT,” he explained. “JCT delivers real detail, but TTF looks at interaction with Government and both are equally important.

“We have just published the Manual for Smart Streets – an online guide on how to buy technology and focusses on the policy outcomes we want to achieve – it’s not yet perfect and so I need people to review it, throw rocks at it, and then I can continue to fund it to make it better.”

(Picture – JCT)

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The one-day event in Birmingham will give delegates details of latest policy at the Department for Transport and initiatives from Innovate UK, before the six Working Group chairs, covering Connected Vehicles, Urban Traffic Management and Control, Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, Data, Mobility as a Service and parking, take part in a Q and A session.

Important funding opportunities will also be detailed at the event, which is held at the Institute of Engineering and Technology’s venue at Austin Court (pictured) from 10am to 3.30pm, with a special invitation-only “Meet the DfT” session straight afterwards. The event is sponsored by Appyway, and supported by exhibitors, Clearview Intelligence, Yunex Traffic, 4way Consulting, VivaCity and StarTraq.

“There are so many impactful policies coming out next year, whether it’s the national parking platform, whether it’s digital TROs, whether it’s quantum computing,” commented LCRIG CEO Paula Claytonsmith who is leading the organisation of the event. “We will be detailing many new policies, but it won’t just be a barrage of information, we will have plenty of time for people to ask questions. It is definitely a must attend and we would love to see as many local authorities join us as possible.”

View the TTF Autumn Update outline agenda here.

Full details of the speakers for the event will be announced later in the month. To book, please click here.

(Picture – IET)

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The Transport Technology Forum’s Parking Working Group has heard how the system is available to all authorities with an Application Programming Interface (API) to integrate with their own enforcement systems.

The Working Group was told by enforcement expert Tom Gallagher of Lambeth Council in London that Councils have lacked all the tools they might want to assist with enforcement around Blue Badge usage.  This has created a double challenge for them, with disabled drivers unable to use spaces allocated for them, while costing councils money in lost parking revenue.

Mr Gallagher explained that help is at hand thanks to recent changes to the online Blue Badge database, allowing any council to access records on who should be using a badge. “Until earlier this year, that system was only available for direct fraud investigators and blue badge teams within councils,” he said, “But now the Department of Transport has added a new level of user access called Enforcement Officer View meaning that, for the first time, on-street enforcement officers can access the system on a handheld device in real time and see whether the badge is valid for use or reported lost or stolen.

“There is no reason why you couldn’t be detecting hundreds of offenders each year.”

The Working Group also heard how a new Persistent Evaders Database is now complete and about to be launched, detailing those small percentage of people responsible for a huge proportion of offences, and identifying offending vehicles used by the most persistent and/or highest risk offenders.  This should increase opportunities for high-risk persistent offending vehicle use to be eliminated in the most efficient and effective manner.

Members were also shown details on the latest automated valet parking technology from Bosch, updated on kerbside management technology and invited to apply to be part of the National Parking Platform pilot.

For more information on the Smarter Parking Group, please click here.

(Picture – TTF)

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Following on from videos last year which explained how information can be shared “untouched by human hand” and showcasing a day of demonstrations at the UTAC Proving Ground in Milbrook, this film summarises a series of new solutions presented at the LCRIG Innovation Festival last month.

The video shows innovations in vehicle warnings about pedestrians, road layouts, roadworks and cyclists, along with eCall and parking technology. Delegates at the Festival also saw first hand how radar technology could be integrated with in-vehicle signage to almost instantly warn of people crossing a road, while dynamic kerbside management was also illustrated along with eCall linked to in vehicle warnings, and a virtual Portsmouth Clear Air Zone .

“The video shows how the TTF continues to demonstrate near to market tools for Local Authority traffic managers,” commented Transport Technology Forum Manager Darren Capes. “Not only are these cutting-edge technology services, but they are relatively low cost and proudly developed by UK SMEs supported by the TTF.”

The demonstrations showcased in the video were delivered through co-operation with Crystal, Grid Smarter Cities, Kamar Photo, KL Systems, Navtech Radar, Portsmouth City Council, SRL, VESOS and White Willow Consulting.

TTF Connected Vehicle Working Group Chair Andy Graham added: “While automated vehicles are still quite a few years away, the TTF and its partners continue to show that connected vehicles – of all types and ages including cycles – can offer great benefits in safety through road user friendly services.”

The Innovation Festival in Newark brought together local authorities, central government, the supply chain, associations and academia to see the latest ideas in highways maintenance and transport technology. More than 230 local authority delegates from 80 authorities attended, meaning around than two-thirds of all the English highway authorities outside London were represented, along with 100 exhibitors.

(Picture – TTF)

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The Senior Technical Manager at Mobius Networks will represent the Private Sector on the Committee, overseeing the TTF along with representatives from local authorities, the Department for Transport and Innovate UK.

The Management Committee meets once a quarter to review the TTF’s activities, set priorities and ensure that it is delivering its mission to “help meet the need for action to deliver the future of mobility by driving more effective and efficient management of existing and new road networks”.

“My day job involves delivering secure end-to-end communications in IoT solutions, which is something transport technology relies on,” commented Mr Lyons. “I hope that my experience of telecoms can be of use to the whole TTF community, while I look forward to representing the suppliers across the industry to make sure that government – both national and local – understands our challenges and skills when it comes to delivering more efficient, greener and safer transport.”

Jon Lyons has 11 years’ experience at Mobius Networks and has already been a key supporter of the TTF through his role as Vice Chair of the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Working Group, assisting in the drafting and publication of the group’s advice to local authorities on charger procurement.

“The TTF is all about encouraging knowledge sharing and collaboration within the industry, and I think it plays a vital role,” Mr Lyons continued. “Given the value it delivers, it was an easy decision to volunteer time to take part in the Management Committee.”

“Having worked with Jon on the EV Charging Infrastructure Working Group, I know how passionate he is about the industry and that he’s always brimming with ideas,” added TTF Manager Darren Capes of the Department for Transport. “I look forward to his involvement in the Management Committee and getting a reasoned, balanced private sector opinion to make sure we are working with and supporting our country’s innovators to make improve our transport networks, and also to boost our export potential.”

The Transport Technology Forum is funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK and delivered with support from the Local Government Roads Innovation Group, LCRIG. A new representative from local authorities is currently being recruited to the committee and they will be announced soon.

(Picture – Jon Lyons, right, with Darren Capes, courtesy TTF)

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The Working Group’s new sub-group, led by connected vehicle expert Andy Graham of White Willow Consulting, is designed to ensure that those working on new solutions are aware of what else is being developed, reducing the risk of duplication, improving interoperability and delivering collaboration.

In-vehicle signage is technology which displays real-time information into vehicles delivering information, safety solutions, real-time traffic news and Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory for signal timing to vehicle head units or through apps. All the solutions utilise mobile phone technologies, therefore do not require roadside beacons to work.  This means much more information can be shared with motorists, eventually removing the need for expensive, environmentally-unfriendly roadside units.

In an initial meeting, current in-vehicle signage projects on the M6 Toll, in Portsmouth, Derbyshire and Simplifai Systems’ solutions in Huddersfield were highlighted, along with National Highways GLOSA projects, event traffic management technology through Eloy, as well as various solutions embedded into satnavs developed by KL Systems and Crystal Technology.

“We got together a group of the leading experts in the sector, and we all realised we did not know everything that is going on, learning about new projects and ideas,” commented group chair Andy Graham.  “After we’d shared the project overviews, we really started coming up with ideas on how to share solutions and what challenges we’re facing that the TTF can help with, so even in our first meeting we created real value which is, of course, what the TTF is all about.”

The Group will provide a forum of those implementing connected vehicle services and catalogue activities currently underway. It will act as a central point for those involved in connected vehicle projects, both from public and private sectors and consider ways to ensure the successful adoption of these services.

“IVS has so many solutions, from warning of accident blackspots and stopped vehicles to improving an electric vehicle’s range using GLOSA to reduce stopping and starting,” Mr Graham continued.  “We now welcome other innovators using IVS to join the sub-group to ensure as many solutions as possible are known about and we can quicken the pace of adoption.”

(Picture – TTF)

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