Intelligent Transport Systems and Services Innovation Platform

The £56M Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITSS) Innovation Platform helps UK businesses develop innovative products and services in response to new market opportunities that may result from government interventions in transport. Traffic congestion is a specific challenge because of its impact on the economy, climate change and quality of life.

We take a broad view of congestion, and are exploring the wider issues around the mobility of people and the transport of goods by asking: ‘How can we move people and goods more intelligently?’ Through a series of strategic interventions, we will encourage private-sector R&D with the potential to improve efficiencies in the overall transport network and/or promote lower-carbon travel choices.

We believe that two approaches are needed to achieve this. First, taking a user-led systems approach, we need to identify and address the gaps in the UK’s current use of available technologies and services. Second, we should analyse human behaviours and attitudes in this context, and find how to influence people’s decision-making by providing them with the appropriate tools and information.

Economic impacts - the case for maximising the efficiency of the transport network
•    A 5% reduction in travel time on the roads could save businesses around £2.5bn; 0.2% of GDP.
•    Eliminating existing road congestion would be worth £7-8bn of GDP each year.
•    If left unchecked, the rising cost of congestion will waste an extra £22bn worth of time in England alone by 2025.

Climate change impacts – the case for minimising the carbon footprint of the transport network The UK Climate Change Act 2008 sets a number of challenging targets. These include a 26% reduction in overall UK CO2 emissions by 2020, which is part of an overall target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 (baseline 1990). Transport contributes about 24% of the UK’s CO2 emissions.

Quality-of-life impacts - Delays and unreliability on the transport network result in direct costs to people, as well as stress and frustration.