The Department for Transport has launched a survey to help it provide detailed guidance to English local authorities on how to open up, share and exploit their transport data.
The project awarded to an Atkins-Jacobs joint venture, together with White Willow Consulting and Oxfordshire County Council, follows on from the Local Transport Data Discovery report from 2017 that showed the benefits of opening up data and identified that a lack of practical and accessible guidance was a key barrier to breaking down siloes of data.
They say such clear guidance would allow local authorities to prioritise their transport data initiatives and investment and deliver operational benefits
The researchers say they need to work closely with local authorities to design the guidance on the basis of their need and current experience. To start the project, the team will be using a survey questionnaire to establish changes since that 2017 report, particular areas where guidance is needed and the depth and format of guidance. Local Authorities are especially encouraged to complete the information gathering, particularly if they are not yet active in open data.
The survey is available here and open until Friday 12 February.
(Image – Yay Images)
