Accurate travel information to be mandated for satnavs

Data on temporary speed limits, road closures and parking spaces will be mandated for satellite navigation (satnav) systems under new plans unveiled by the Government today (Monday, January 15).

Roads minister Guy Opperman says that all Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), which are short term traffic measures such as temporary speed limits or road closures, will be made digital.

Until now, TROs have not been automatically updated on digital systems, meaning they are sometimes missing from satnav systems.

The Government says it will now mandate data on TROs and the location of parking spaces is made freely available for satnavs.

Opperman said: “Everyone knows the frustrations of being sent down a closed road by your sat-nav, so by going digital with our traffic information, we’re making sure that drivers have the very latest travel information to rely on.”

Going forward, regulations will require traffic authorities to send their TROs to a new digital publication platform. The data will then be available online for anyone to use.

Alex Smith, CEO of Buchanan Computing, who has worked closely with Government towards the rollout of digitised traffic orders, said: “We are delighted that the Government has fired the starting gun today on funding for the digitisation of traffic regulation orders, which is long overdue. 

“It will open up the UK road network to autonomous vehicles and make life easier for drivers by ensuring satnavs have the most up-to-date information on the location of parking spaces, road closures and speed limits.” 

The work is already well underway for nearly 100 local authorities using live real-time information via its ParkMap platform to digitise the current framework for inputting and updating Traffic Orders, added Smith.  

"Many of these feed into our API service, allowing it to be consumed by service providers and general public via their smart devices,” he explained.   

"With the necessary legislative changes being made, achieving a complete national real time coverage of Traffic Orders will take a significant time and Buchanan Computing is working hard towards this."

Digitising TROs is a critical step to the rollout of autonomous vehicles, where they will need accurate and up-to-date information so that they can operate safely once they start driving on British roads, says the Department for Transport (DfT).

A clause that delivers this commitment is included in the Automated Vehicles Bill, currently in Parliament.

Digitising TROs is part of a wider package of the Government’s Plan for Drivers, a 30-point plan to support people’s freedoms to use their cars, curb “over-zealous” enforcement measures and back drivers.

As part of the plan, the Government has also published new proposals to increase fines handed out to utility companies for street works that overrun.