Government to share out £4 million to tech projects that improve travel

The government has awarded £4 million to different tech projects which aim to cut congestion, speed up journeys and clean up the environment.

Some of the projects that will receive a share of the fund include apps that notify motorists of congestion, free parking spaces, and journey information for visually impaired passengers.

Nineteen councils across England will also get between £50,000 and £300,000 each for their ideas to improve journeys through digital innovation.

Blackpool is one of the beneficiaries and has received £234,000 to use Bluetooth technologies to cut down on traffic congestion.
Others include Dorset, in order to provide advance congestion warnings for drivers; Coventry for a real-time bay availability system across 450 pay and display parking areas; and Peterborough have received £50,000 to use digital technology to provide journey information directly to visually impaired people.

Roads minister Andrew Jones, said: “I congratulate today’s winners for coming up with cutting-edge, innovative ideas that will transform journeys for passengers and motorists across the country.

“Technology is rapidly evolving and this important work shows that if we get it right, it can cut congestion, speed up journeys, clean up the environment, and improve accessibility.”