The Department for Transport (DfT) is planning to look into the possibilities of increasing the use of digital technology and data in managing kerbsides on public roads.

As a result of this, it has revealed plans now for a two-month discovery project, aimed at better understanding user needs, with a market notice for support from the private sector.

The work will involve building on knowledge from the department’s previous research – on issues such as a national parking platform, electric vehicle chargepoints and traffic regulation orders (TROs) – along with that from other organisations.

The note said: “The kerbside is a scarce resource dominated by private vehicle parking but facing new demands for access from active forms of travel and new disruptive services, including e-cycles/e-scooters, whilst maintaining essential freight deliveries and servicing.

“User focused research is required into the as-is, pain points, and opportunities for the digitisation and repurposing of the kerbside to support active travel/new forms of mobility and freight distribution/EVs/CAVs, and to consider the constraints of the current regulatory framework (TROs, traffic signing etc).”