We want to hear from you

Data is at the heart of new transport technologies. Whether that is Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, Smart Mobility, Smart Cities, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles or more, the data that feeds these technologies determines how effective (thus successful) they will be.

Therefore, as the transport sector takes rapid strides to progress our technological solutions, we need to ensure that the way we collect, store and share data is developed properly to support these advancements.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has already gone some way to address this, by publishing their Transport Data Strategy earlier this year.

Now, as the Transport Select Committee has called for evidence on the future of transport data we want to know your opinions to directly inform our consultation response and put your voice at the heart of the decision making process:

• What is the current state of transport data?
• What can we achieve with optimal transport data?
• How do we improve our data related skills and capacity?
• How effective is the UK Government’s Transport Data Strategy?

Deadline: Monday 21 August

What is the DfT’s Transport Data Strategy?

The transport data strategy demonstrates how DfT will work with and support the transport sector to harness the benefits of data to help grow and level up the economy, reduce environmental impacts and improve transport for the user.

In the document, DfT outline seven Data Principles that form the basis of their strategy, which are:

Placing these principles at the core of their aims, the strategy sets out targeted interventions to support a healthy transport data ecosystem. These interventions can be grouped into 5 themes including:

Sharing, discoverability and access

• Create and maintain a Transport Data Catalogue

To be the authoritative source for finding transport data

• Open by default – challenge function.

Have a central data team to challenge why data is not being made openly available.

• Exploring solutions on secure data sharing

Where datasets cannot be made available without controls, DfT will share best practice and guidance to allow for data to be exchanged and used securely.

Data standards and quality

• Create a Transport Data Standards Panel

To provide strategic advice to the department on transport data standards, including the identification of priority areas.

• Develop a data standards catalogue

To improve the discoverability of data standards, promote interoperability, minimise redundancy and duplication of standards, and identify gaps in transport systems for better efficiency and collaboration.

• Develop and promote Transport Data Standards and build community of use

By evolving existing standards to support new innovative applications, promoting their use and adoption of the relevant standards in all commissioned projects.

• The Future of Transport (FoT)

Following the FoT data standards scoping study, DfT will develop a Code of Practice for MaaS operators which including guidance on data and consider the options around “open by default” in the FoT Regulatory Review.

• Improving data quality

Provide guidance, support and cases studies on assessing and improving data quality.

• Improving sensor data

Explore how sensors can be used to collect and share transport-related data to support the creation of smart places and digital twins.

Skills, culture and leadership

• Establish a regular transport data senior user/ expert group

Made up of cross sector representatives, academic institutions, and data experts to align data projects, standards development, funding opportunities, and generally ensure a better focussed future for data in transport.

• Develop and coordinate a programme of transport data innovation events in collaboration with a range of partners

To improve data literacy and support upskilling in coding and data skills.

User needs and communication

• Develop the wider transport data community

By engaging with data leaders and users in the transport sector, maintaining links through strategy discovery work, exploring areas for collaboration, and discovering problems and issues which the DfT data team can help address including:

• regular blogs highlighting trends in data and data services in transport
• increasing the number of data related transport events
• improving existing events: Data Science in Transport; a new data working group as part of the Transport Technology Forum
• Developing the evidence base (for investments in data)

By supporting future business cases for data investment and promoting the understanding of the importance of data.

• Running roundtables on data to provide an advisory/ challenge function

With a rotating set of attendees to provide opportunities for many different players in the transport sector.

Governance, protection and ethics

• Review terms and conditions in grant funding and contracts about data ownership and release

By establishing clear Terms and Conditions for government-funded projects' data ownership, licensing, and ethical use to maximize value and accountability.

• Contribute to, and ensure alignment with the National Data Strategy, the National Digital Twin Programme (NDTP), and the mobility work in the Geospatial strategy
• Explore the development of a Data Ethics Panel

Where individuals can bring forward any ethical concerns on the usage of certain data sets to ensure that the usage aligns with GPDR.

• Annual Data Survey

To monitor trends/issues and to use as part of an assessment of how well DfT are doing and where they may need to change their approach.

Next Steps

We are keen to hear your thoughts on this! If you have strong opinions on the future of transport and how utilising data will get us there – please let us know!

Deadline: Monday 21 August

If you are interested in data and it's use within transport, you can also join us for our upcoming CIHT Masterclass - The latest technology for smart mobility.

In this CIHT Masterclass we will be joined by a panel of experts discussing the latest research and technology within smart mobility, covering the perspective of rural roads, urban roads and the major road network, with presentations from a range of organisations including the 2023 CIHT Technology and Innovation award winners Sm@rt Transport.

Help and Support

If you have any questions or want to discuss this further, please contact us on technical@ciht.org.uk