Geospatial Commission transport data report targets £2bn annual GVA

Aug 20, 2021 11:13:24 AM · 2 min read

The Geospatial Commission has published a report illustrating the huge potential for location data to support a greener, faster, better transport sector from planning electric vehicle charging points to solving complex last-mile routing challenges.

The document Positioning the UK in the fast lane - Location data opportunities for better UK transport identifies cross-cutting challenges, requiring a system-wide approach and actions to unlock the potential of location data in the transport ecosystem. It estimates that up to £2 billion of economic value could be unlocked annually through better use of data.

The Geospatial Commission is an expert committee that sets the UK’s geospatial strategy and promotes the best use of geospatial data. Their findings will feed into the Department for Transport's (DfT) own data strategy, expected shortly.

"This report from the Geospatial Commission is a perfect example of the significant benefits of data in delivering tangible transport benefits, from planning where to place new electric vehicle charging points, to making last-mile journeys quicker, easier and more efficient," said Transport Minister Rachel Maclean at DfT. "This is the perfect complement to our upcoming Transport Data Strategy which will help overcome the barriers to data sharing and use, as well as improving the discoverability, accessibility and quality of data."

According to the Geospatial Commission, six key transport areas where there is a significant opportunity for increased location data use are:

Roads
Road & Rail haulage
Route optimisation
Electric Vehicles
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
Drones and Unmanned Aircraft Systems

According to the report, a great deal of public sector transport data is collected, stored and managed in silos. This siloed approach has led to inconsistencies in the application of existing standards across the mobility system, an issue identified by DfT.

The quality of data for reuse was cited as another issue - Local Authority data, as one example, is often collected and managed on different software, to different standards, for different needs. The result is that while data may be fit for purpose from an operational perspective, it can be a challenge for third parties to aggregate and analyse data from multiple Local Authorities, to provide value add services. This is due to a lack of consistency across local authority systems and approach to standards in digital data management.

The report follows research, feasibility studies, and engagement with stakeholders and innovators from industry, academia, and the public sector.

Aug 20, 2021 11:13:24 AM · 2 min read

By James

James is the Editor of Government Transformation Magazine, and has been covering digital government and public sector reform for 25 years. He also oversees the content for Government Transformation Week, the UK's biggest series of public sector transformation events.