The Transport Technology Forum is estimating that more than 70 delegates at its conference last month tried out the new National Parking Platform (NPP) and downloaded the bespoke app to experience in-vehicle signing on their own Android and Apple smartphones when travelling to the event.
The app delivered delegates right to the entrance to the car park specially set aside for those who wanted to use the NPP, which enabled delegates make payments for parking using their favourite parking app, rather than having to use a single specific app for the car park. Users paid a token amount to trial the system, with them able to pay using the same car park code on one of six apps – RingGo, Pay By Phone, APCOA Connect, JustPark, Caura and appyparking.
For the in-vehicle messaging demonstration, drivers who downloaded a special app delivered by KL Systems were able to receive live traffic information as they headed to the venue, thanks to virtual traffic signs delivered by a TTF Connected Vehicle Working Group project. They saw National Highways road-side variable message signs repeated in-vehicle together with virtual signing to the venue itself along with welcome messages. Drivers of Polestar Electric Vehicles were able to receive these messages on their built-in display screens using a version of the app that is directly downloaded into the car.
“It made sense to run the demo on the opening day of the conference, when our Smarter Parking and Connected Vehicle Working Groups met,” commented CV Working Group chair Andy Graham. “I’m pleased to say that, out of the seventy-plus people who tried out our solutions, I haven’t had a single negative comment, which suggests experts in the industry – who can often be the most critical – were happy with what they got.”
The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) which runs events on behalf of the TTF, is currently surveying delegates about the whole conference, including these demos.
Work is now taking place to consider demonstrating an upgraded NPP and in-vehicle signage solution at the LCRIG Innovation and Learning Festival in Warwickshire in July. Developer George Brown is already working on a fully integrated system to navigate drivers to a car park using the NPP solution. He said: “I was delighted with the feedback we gained from delegates and have already made suggestions for how NPP and sat nav can deliver a seamless user experience.”
The TTF Conference ran from 23-25 April at the Leonardo Hotel, Hinckley Island in Leicestershire. It was organised by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) on behalf of the TTF, which is co-funded by the Department for Transport and Innovated UK. Nearly 350 people attended to discuss current and future trends in intelligent transport, with 71 local or combined authorities represented. The conference focussed on many DfT-led initiatives including the NPP, Digital Traffic Regulation Orders, the Transport Data Strategy, and the use of AI in transport, as well as the £70 million funding for signals improvements as detailed in the Government’s Plan for Drivers. The TTF Working Group meetings were sponsored by AECOM, while the overall conference was sponsored by sponsored by Clearview Intelligence.
(Picture – TTF)
