Highways England is laying the ground for a data discovery project aimed at improving its shared operation of the roads network with local authorities.
It has begun a procurement for support in the project aimed at assessing user needs, spotting pain points and recommending approaches for the exchange of data and integrating systems.
The move derives from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Local Transport Data Discovery, which identified a need for greater cross-boundary cooperation, especially between Highways England and local authorities. This comes from a lack of data exchange and system integration undermining management of the road network.
The notice identifies a number of stakeholders in the project, including local highway and planning authorities, road users, real time traffic data providers, traffic systems providers, satnav companies and digital map providers.
It points out that there has been no national formalisation of communication channels, with new systems and data mechanisms being developed largely within silos.
The DfT discovery included recommendations for a more effective infrastructure to harness local authority transport data, improved collaboration between councils and Highways England, and making more of the data open.
Image by Alby, CC BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons
