As part of a wider £350 million funding package for
improving the quality of local roads, the department
has awarded £2 million to develop the most thorough
understanding ever of Britain’s road markings.
By having analysis on the quality of near 100,000 miles
of road, the department will have a clearer-than-ever
picture of where investment is needed. Through this
understanding, the department will be able to advise
local councils where they could invest in areas that
may need it most, improving road user safety on some of
our busiest local roads.
Transport Secretary said:
Road markings play a vital role in keeping everyone
who is using the road safe, so making sure they’re up
to standard is imperative.
This funding will allow for
advanced AI learning
technology to assess the condition of the markings to
improve the safety of our roads for all users.
DfT will
undertake the health-check in close partnership with
the Local Condition Roads Innovation Group
(LCRIG). LCRIG,
will in turn use the services of Gaist, a
small SME based
in North Yorkshire, to use machine
learning AI technology
that will review close to 150 million high definition
(HD) images of our
roads. The analysis will provide a clear assessment of
where investment by councils could be utilised.
Poor road markings pose an issue for all road users,
from cyclists to motorists. Poor road marking quality
can make it difficult for road users to distinguish
whether they can park on the side of the road, overtake
or know how wide a lane is. This means road user safety
can be put at risk due to a lack of clarity. By having
a stronger road map of where markings need improvement,
these issues can be rectified.
Paula Claytonsmith, Managing Director, Gaist, said:
We are using over 146 million HD road images from our
national databank and cutting-edge AI technology
to assess over 96,000 miles of classified roads as
part of this project. This is the largest exercise in
assessing road marking readiness ever undertaken in
England. Gaist are proud to have
the AI capability
that puts an SME UK business
at the forefront of technological advances.
The funding will also go towards a survey of councils
around pavement and footway conditions, which will help
outline where funding could be targeted.
The department is also planning to assess sections of
the National Cycle
Network, building on the audit undertaken by
cycling and walking charity Sustrans, to better
understand the condition of the network. This will help
continue our commitment to promote walking and cycling
and improve our public spaces. All three stocktakes
combined underline the department’s commitment to
making roads and cycleways safer for their users, and
to improve the quality of local roads up and down the
country.
The funding announcement comes on the same day that
bids open over the next 4 year for £348 million of
worth of funding to improve our local roads, through
the Challenge Fund and Pinch Point fund.
