New digital technology puts London transport at a tipping point, says think tank

In a new report, UK policy think tank The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argues that London is at a crossroads between two futures. One where the transport network is increasingly gridlocked, the air grows ever dirtier and the cost of accessing good transport increases. Or one where all can harness the best of digital technology, reducing journeys and air pollution, and opening up new opportunities to make London a more attractive place to live. The report investigates how new technology co
March 24, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
In a new report, UK policy think tank The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argues that London is at a crossroads between two futures. One where the transport network is increasingly gridlocked, the air grows ever dirtier and the cost of accessing good transport increases. Or one where all can harness the best of digital technology, reducing journeys and air pollution, and opening up new opportunities to make London a more attractive place to live.

The report investigates how new technology could help or hinder efforts to effect more sustainable forms of travel behaviour and are already having a tangible impact on the way that Londoner’s move around the city. New private hire technology like 8336 Uber and new delivery patterns driven by companies like Amazon are just a first glimpse of the size of the revolution that digital technologies will unleash on London’s transport system. Future technologies, like autonomous vehicles and Mobility as Service platforms, promise even bigger and more rapid change.

There are potentially many positive effects of including these services into London’s integrated transport network; IPPR argues that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan needs to seize the opportunity, saying that car clubs such as 6452 DriveNow and 3874 ZipCar should be a key part of his vision for London’s transport system. It also recommends developing a framework for new travel markets, setting out a set of positive outcomes for the transport system and appointing a chief digital officer for the capital, as well as making 1466 Transport for London the central hub for travel data.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • CILT urges policy review for London Mayor’s transport strategy
    October 4, 2017
    The Mayor of London’s Draft Transport Strategy (DMTS) lacks realism and risks unintended consequences, according to a report from the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). Proposals on bus priority require a fundamental review as speeds on a third of London’s bus routes have fallen more than 5% in the past year, including a reallocation of road space, construction works (with resulting congestion) and an increase in the volume of private hire and van traffic. CILT calls for bus corridors
    Read More
  • MaaS Markets conference leads delegates from concept to delivery
    December 5, 2016
    MaaS Market is ITS International’s first conference and will provide delegates with the information they need to move from concept to delivery.
    Read More
  • Thales to upgrade four London Underground lines
    August 4, 2015
    French transportation group Thales has been awarded a £750 million (US$1,160 million) contract by Transport for London (TfL) to upgrade four London Underground (LU) lines. Under the contract, Thales will modernise the signalling and train control system on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. Known as the Sub-Surface Lines (SSL), the four lines form a complex network of interlinked routes with numerous junctions which comprise 40 per cent of the LU network and carry up to thre
    Read More
  • Yunex Fusion platform for Edinburgh
    July 19, 2024
    Scottish capital is monitoring traffic in one of its air quality management areas
    Read More

Highlighted Content