The Department for Transport (DfT) is aiming to digitise its collection of road freight data.
It has published a procurement notice for support for its road freight statistics team in developing a project to the alpha phase over the first two months of next year.
The ultimate aim is to replace the three mandatory paper surveys for road freight operators each year with digital processes to make them more efficient and improve the quality of the data.
A recently completed discovery project led it to the conclusion there is significant scope to go digital, with three elements to be explored.
One is the collection of data through a simple web browser compatible with any device and including validation mechanisms to prevent errors and missing fields. The second is to explore the automated collection of data, establishing a set of secure APIs using open standards.
Third is to redesign the communications around the survey to help hauliers develop a better understanding of what is needed.
The notice says the DfT and other departments use road freight statistics to feed into their transport planning and policy initiatives.
Image by brianfagan, CC BY 2.0
