£4m for congestion cutting tech products

The Department for Transport is awarding £4 million for tech projects that will help cut congestion, speed up journeys and clean up the environment.

19 councils across England will receive between £50,000 and £300,000 each for their ideas to improve journeys through digital innovation, including apps which notify motorists of congestion and free parking spaces, and real time journey information for visually impaired passengers.

Among the successful recipients of the money are: Westminster, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham, who will use £204,000 to roll out a new generation of electric vehicle charge points which will provide real-time data to motorists when they are available; Blackpool, who will use £234,000 to use Bluetooth technologies to cut traffic congestion; Coventry, who will use £150,000 for a real-time bay availability system across 450 pay and display parking spots; and Warrington, who will use £300,000 to provide real-time information to businesses and public through on-street information displays, social media and phone apps.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones announced the funding while visiting Westminster Council, who will also use their funding to develop a hands-free parking app which reduces the time motorists circulate by showing available space.

He 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.”