Department invites councils to bid for shares to support technology projects to make things easier for motorists
The Department for Transport (DfT) has emphasised the potential for smart places systems in encouraging local authorities to bid for shares of a £2 million pot to support projects on motoring technology.
It has said that between £30,000 and £300,000 could be made available to councils ready to provide at least 5% of their project’s cost, and that the competition is aimed at making journeys easier for motorists.
Among the possibilities it raised in the announcement is for systems that enable vehicles to communicate with each other and roadside sensors to provide drivers with real time traffic information, and planning tools that can provide warnings about changing weather and traffic conditions.
It also pointed to a project run by Westminster City Council that involved building an app to direct drivers to empty parking spaces and take payments automatically.
Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: “I want to deliver better, more enjoyable journeys and this £2 million fund will help councils invest in new technology to enhance the experience of drive. Britain has a proud history of innovation and I am delighted that councils will be able to use this money to develop systems to make journeys easier and safer.”
The bidding process will be open until the end of September, and any schemes would be expected to complete by March 2018.
Image by Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
