Skip to main content

UK government awards funding for transport technology projects

The UK government has awarded funding of US$4.9 million (£4 million) for technology projects that will cut congestion, speed up journeys and clean up the environment. Nineteen councils across England will receive between US$62,000 (£50,000) US$374,000 (£300,000) each for their ideas to improve journeys through digital innovation. The government money will be spent on developing cutting edge technology such as apps and sensors which can be used to cut congestion, improve parking in city centres and ale
February 23, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The UK government has awarded funding of US$4.9 million (£4 million) for technology projects that will cut congestion, speed up journeys and clean up the environment.

Nineteen councils across England will receive between US$62,000 (£50,000) US$374,000 (£300,000) each for their ideas to improve journeys through digital innovation.

The government money will be spent on developing cutting edge technology such as apps and sensors which can be used to cut congestion, improve parking in city centres and alert drivers when electric car charging points become available.

Successful bidders include: Blackpool which will use Bluetooth technologies to cut traffic congestion; Dorset to provide advance congestion warnings for drivers on the A31 using an app; and Warrington to provide real-time information to businesses and public through on-street information displays, social media and phone apps.

Coventry will also receive funding for a real-time bay availability system across 450 pay and display parking spots, while Westminster, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham were awarded funding to roll out a new generation of electric vehicle charge points which will provide real-time data to motorists when they are available. Peterborough also received funding for digital technology to provide real time journey information directly to visually impaired people.

Related Content

  • New ticketing system for Dakar's 100% electric BRT
    June 4, 2024
    Riders in Senegal's capital can use Calypso cards, contactless tickets and QR code tickets
  • Smart Spanish city trials cell-based traffic management
    November 7, 2013
    David Crawford reports on an urban electronic nervous system. The northern Spanish city of Santander – historically a port - is now an emerging technology showcase attracting global attention as a prototype for a medium-sized smart city of the future. In a move to determine the optimal use of available data, it is creating a de-facto experimental laboratory for sensor and mobile phone-based urban traffic management and environmental monitoring innovations.
  • UK puts £90m into three ‘future transport zones’
    April 3, 2020
    The UK government has pledged £90 million to three 'future transport zones' to test new ways of transporting people and goods. 
  • UK government boosts road funding
    September 30, 2013
    Communities across the UK are set to benefit from government funding which will tackle traffic bottlenecks (pinch points) and congestion on local roads. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced US$129 million of further funding to remove these bottlenecks, US$40 million of which has already been awarded to fifteen improvement schemes. McLoughlin also announced he was inviting local councils to submit bids by the end of October for a share of the remaining US$89 million being made available.