The Department for Transport’s Head of Road Infrastructure Technology has used his address at the LCRIG Strictly Highways event in Blackpool to start a conversation about the future connected data services that will bring together vehicles, road users and road operators.

Darren Capes says starting the development of a Digital Vehicle Services Framework gives the Department the opportunity to work with stakeholders from the public and private sectors to define the services it believes will be available to road users and operators in the coming years.

He pointed to technology demonstrated at the Transport Technology Forum’s Connected Vehicle Open Day at UTAC in Bedfordshire in April, which highlighted how technology can be used to deliver safer roads for all, improve economic growth by reducing congestion, improve network resilience and better use Artificial Intelligence to achieve policy aims.

Mr Capes told the audience of local authority highways managers and private sector innovators that the conversation he is starting will allow the DfT to develop relevant policies to support the rollout of connected services and help to provide certainty to the sector when thinking of local policy, research, development and funding. It will also ensure we are able to utilise wider European vehicle and data standards into UK service delivery.

“By starting this conversation, we aim to find consensus about the future shape of the connected data services environment in ways that allow it to be reflected in a practical and deliverable way in the Government’s Data Action Plan and Integrated National Transport Strategy,” he explained afterwards, “And ensure we are able engage other sectors, such as communications and the vehicle manufacturers in a constructive and meaningful way.”

His full speech, and all the other sessions, will be available on the LCRIG website within the next couple of weeks.

(Picture – TTF)