The Government has announced, at the Transport Technology Forum’s Autumn Update, the cancellation of the £20 million Intelligent Traffic Management Fund (ITMF), for innovation in the transport technology sector.

The ITMF was part of £70 million funding of improvements to traffic signals announced as part of the DfT’s Plan for Drivers by Secretary of State Mark Harper last October. The cancelled £20 million was expected to fund a small number of grants to groups led by local authorities of up to £2 million each.

Max Sugarman, Chief Executive, Intelligent Transport Systems UK, said: “Cancelling the Intelligent Traffic Management Fund is a hugely missed opportunity for the Government and we would strongly urge them to reconsider this move.

“Local authorities and suppliers were gearing up to use the Fund to deliver the latest technology onto the network, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, that would help optimise traffic flows, reduce congestion and, ultimately, support more effective, safer and greener roads for the travelling public. 

“The ITMF was directly aligned with the Department for Transport’s five priorities and the Chancellor’s aims to deliver public services more efficiently, as set out in the Budget. So, this cancellation is not only a blow to the traffic technology sector, but also an own goal for Government. We would urge them to now set out a forward plan for how they will work with the sector to support a more effective road network, building upon the vision they have for the transport system.”

The news of the cancellation of the Intelligent Traffic Management Fund can be found here.