Drivers will soon be able to plan their journeys better to avoid
roadworks, thanks to an innovative new digital system funded by
the government.
The Department for Transport is investing up to £10 million in
Street Manager, a digital planning service due to launch next
year, to replace a costly and ineffective system that will make
more consistent, accurate data on street works available to
motorists.
Unlike current data on roadworks which is often out of date and
incomplete, Street Manager will generate real time data and will
be free for technology companies and app developers to use. This
will allow existing apps and providers, such as Waze and Google
maps, to enhance their services making them even more accurate
and allow other firms to create new products to help drivers
avoid jams. It could see the latest data being shared via satnavs
and app ‘push’ notifications to help motorists choose a new
route.
Roads Minister said:
Roadworks can often be frustrating for motorists, especially
when they cause hold-ups at busy times and delay journeys.
We want to reduce this disruption and delay, and Street Manager
is just one of a number of actions we are taking so that local
authorities and utility companies can better plan and manage
their roadworks.
The data opened up by this new digital service should enable
motorists to plan their journeys better, so they can avoid
works and get to their destinations more easily.
Street Manager will replace an out-of-date and ineffective system
currently in use by local authorities and utility companies,
allowing them to accurately record and share data better on the
2.5 million roadworks that take place in England each year. It
will support them to collaborate on joint works and better
coordinate timings so that drivers don’t get caught up in
multiple works.
It will also support local businesses across the country by
helping stop delivery vehicles from getting stuck in traffic jams
caused by roadworks.
Alongside this, the government is today (Sunday 2 September 2018)
publishing new bidding guidance on lane rental schemes, which
enable councils across England to charge utility companies up to
£2,500 a day for carrying out roadworks on the busiest roads at
peak times.
The guidance informs local
authorities as to how they can develop a lane rental scheme, and
includes a new calculator for assessing the costs and benefits of
schemes.
It will also help utility companies to work with local
authorities to avoid charges by co-ordinating works, or working
at quieter times - benefitting all road users, especially those
travelling at peak times. Pilot lane rental schemes in London and
Kent saw congestion on the busiest roads drop by half, saving
drivers time and boosting the economy.
It also comes after Transport Secretary, , called on companies to
carry out works on pavements, where possible, instead of under
roads to avoid disruption to motorists.
Street Manager is just one example of how technology is
transforming transport. With the development of self-driving
vehicles and other technological travel solutions, the government
has published a ‘Future of mobility call
for evidence’.
This kicked off the ‘Future of mobility grand
challenge’, which aims to make the UK A world leader in the
movement of goods, services and people. This work is part of the
future of mobility in the government’s modern
Industrial Strategy, which is building a Britain fit for the
future.
