Freight operators and technology firms are drawing up an action plan for providing a national advised freight route for satellite navigation devices, following an industry workshop held last week.
The Freight Transport Association and the Location and Timing Knowledge Transfer Network convened the workshop to revive flagging attempts to resolve the problem of sat-navs guiding commercial vehicles down inappropriate local roads.
The Ordnance Survey said in March that it ‘cannot possibly co-ordinate’ the incorporation of information on local traffic authorities’ recommended freight routes into sat-navs, so the project was parked (Surveyor, 5 March).
However, the FTA’s challenge to the industry to produce a sat-nav unit for commercial vehicle use is now being championed by Location and Timing KTN, established by the Government’s technology strategy board.
David Wilson, technology translator at Location and Timing KTN, said: ‘Nothing much has happened because everyone is waiting for somebody else to do something. We want to draw up a plan, with some funding, to take this forward.’ He said that, given how many bridge-strikes and near-misses there were, it was ‘imperative’ the project presses ahead.
The action plan would include suggestions on what data was required, and in what form it was needed. Wilson added: ‘Everybody was skeptical before this meeting that nothing would come of this; it’s down to us to take this forward.’
James Firth, FTA’s sat-nav expert, said that the issue goes ‘far beyond measuring bridge height and weight restrictions’. Operators wanted ‘preferred freight routes’.
Graeme Fitton, chair of the CSS (County Surveyors’ Society) transportation committee – who attended the workshop – commented: ‘This initiative is gathering momentum now – you’ve got all the main players involved.’ But he warned that it would require a strong central steer. ‘This is a priority for many authorities, but for a successful sat-nav freight product, you have to have national coverage.’
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