Local authorities pressed for more EU funding to develop public transport-related intelligent transport system (ITS) projects, as opposed to traffic management, at a government information day last week.
European Commission and UK government representatives joined forces in London to brief the UK ITS community on £13bn worth of opportunities in the EC’s 2007-13 seventh framework research programme, with the first calls due in December. Funding will come through the EC’s directorates-general for transport and energy and for the information society and media.
One major strand of the research programme – known as FP7 – is to examine information computer technology for mobility of people and goods.
William Bryans, transport studies and information manager with Surrey County Council, called for this to give greater emphasis to public transport initiatives than previously. Surrey is hoping for support to develop a model for a computerised control centre to manage council-owned bus fleets. The council has approached the POLIS network to help find partners.
Bryans also wanted local authorities to be able to pay lower project contributions. He was supported by Nick Hodges, Leicester City Council special projects officer, who said: ‘Our politicians are supportive, but we are being financially squeezed.’ Even when councils could not afford to take part in projects, said Bryans, commercial consortium members should consult them.
Leicester is developing a project on the effects of transport on health, while Hertfordshire County Council, another authority represented, is focusing on road safety.
For the Government, Department for Transport technology head, Eric Samson, said projects meeting UK as well as EC aims could be considered for departmental funding.