A special body to work on transport data is to be set up in the West Midlands funded by £20 million from the 2018 Budget.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has highlighted the creation of the UK Mobility Data Institute in its reaction to Chancellor Philip Hammond’s spending decisions.
It said it will run the institute in a joint venture with Warwick Manufacturing Group, a research organisation within the University of Warwick.
The institute will collect and analyse huge volumes of transport data generated by new mobility technologies and projects such as the one testing connected and autonomous vehicles and infrastructure on roads in Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham.
These are within the larger areas chosen by the Government earlier this year for initial pilots of 5G technology.
Mayor Andy Street said: “The chancellor has recognised our role as a global player in the development of future transport technologies. The £20 million he has awarded for a new data research centre will help keep us at the cutting edge of this future industry.”
Further funding
The news follows the announcement earlier this month that Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of WMCA, has been awarded £20 million by the Department for Transport to create the Future Mobility Area. This will complement the work of the new Mobility Data Institute in supporting the development of new services, apps and projects to improve mobility.
TfWM has also placed the emphasis on the better use of data in its recently announced congestion management plan.
WMCA also highlighted the confirmation the provision of £20 million to develop and trial the UK’s first Future Mobility Zone.
Image from GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0
