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Work begins on data infrastructure for ‘intelligent transport’

21/06/16

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ODI and Transport Systems Catapult call for government and academia to contribute to effort

The Open Data Institute (ODI) and Transport Systems Catapult have called on government, along with academia and industry, to get involved in defining a data infrastructure for intelligent transport systems.

The two organisations are working on a project to outline a data infrastructure to support the development of ‘intelligent mobility’, which would make use of a range of technologies to provide a more effective transport system.

It is a significant element of the move towards developing more effective public transport and an infrastructure for private transport as part of the smart places agenda. It is seen as an important step towards supporting an ageing population and providing more environmentally friendly transport.

ODI said the two bodies are looking at how open standards can support the development of new modes of transport that are more responsive to the needs of people and businesses while the existing system is “creaking at the seams”.

“We urgently need to think about the data infrastructure that is needed to support transport innovation and bring about the transition to ‘intelligent mobility, where emerging technologies enable the smarter, greener and more efficient movement of people and goods,” it said.

Fourth revolution

Ruth McKernan, chief executive of the Transport Catapult’s parent organisation Innovate UK, said: “The use of open data in all spheres will be an imperative for the fourth industrial revolution.”

A number of government initiatives are in place to support the move towards intelligent mobility. The Government has plans to require bus companies to public information on routes, fares, timetables and delays as open data, with the aim of enabling third parties to develop information services similar to those used in London.

The London Borough of Greenwich is planning driverless vehicle trials, and Bristol City Council has created an API to make its transport information available to developers.

Image by Aubrey Morandarte, Guildford, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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