Issue 1 – Jan 2019 www.smarttransport.org.uk

Breaking down the barriers What will it take to achieve a joined-up approach to transport?

POWER STRUGGLE SMART BRITAIN ACCESS FOR ALL What is needed to boost Where can the UK lead in Ensuring that transport electric vehicle adoption? the global mobility market? innovation is inclusive CONNECTING POLICY TO SOLUTIONS SMART TRANSPORT MEMBERSHIP POLICY, NETWORKING, COLLABORATION AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

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For any enquires regarding membership please contact: Carlota Hudgell – Smart Transport Lead, 01733 366450 | 07881 915309 [email protected] Contents CONTACT US Smart Transport, MEDIA HOUSE, LYNCH WOOD, PETERBOROUGH BUSINESS PARK, PETERBOROUGH PE2 6EA. Email: [email protected] EDITORIAL Tel 01733 468000 Editorial Board Chairman Stephen Joseph Assistant Editor Paul Stephen Production Editor Gervais Seymour Art Editor David Hiles Smart Transport Lead Carlota Hudgell Smart Transport Business Development Director Matthew McMullan PRODUCTION Tel 01733 468377 Print Production Manager Richard Woolley Printed by KNP Litho H BAUER PUBLISHING Managing Director Tim Lucas Editorial Director June Smith-Sheppard Head of Digital Charlie Calton-Watson Group Direct Marketing Director Chris Gadsby Finance Director Lisa Hayden Group Managing Director Rob Munro-Hall CEO Paul Keenan

No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without the prior permission of H Bauer Publishing. All material published remains the copyright of H Bauer Publishing and we reserve the right to copy or edit, any material submitted to the magazine 10 Breaking down the barriers 20 Global Britain without further consent. The submission of material (manuscripts or images etc) to H Bauer Publishing whether unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission to publish that material in the magazine, on the associated website, any apps or social media pages affiliated to the magazine, and any editions of the magazine published by our Issue 1-Jan 2019 4 Welcome Stephen Joseph introduces Smart Transport licensees elsewhere in the world. By submitting any material to us you are confirming that the material is your own original work or that First and last words... 74 And finally... Closing thoughts on smart developments you have permission from the copyright owner to use the material and to and authorise H Bauer Publishing to use it as described in this paragraph. You also promise that you have permission from anyone featured or referred to in the submitted material to it being used by Finding the missing link H Bauer Publishing. If H Bauer Publishing receives a claim from a Features 10 copyright owner or a person featured in any material you have sent Holistic thinking is one thing, but is joined-up action for us, we will inform that person that you have granted us permission The important strategic issues to use the relevant material and you will be responsible for paying land use and transport policy possible? any amounts due to the copyright owner or featured person and / or for reimbursing H Bauer Publishing for any losses it has suffered 20 The UK in a global context as a result. Where does Britain stand in the development and Please note, we accept no responsibility for unsolicited material which is lost or damaged in the post and we do not promise that we will application of smart transport technology? be able to return any material to you. Finally, whilst we try to ensure accuracy of your material when we publish it, we cannot promise to 30 Swift, smart solutions do so. We do not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused, resulting from use of thematerial as described in If they had the power, what three things would Smart this paragraph. Transport Editorial Board Members do right now? COMPLAINTS: H Bauer Publishing is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk) and endeavours 38 Investment opportunities and challenges to respond to and resolve your concerns quickly. Our Editorial Complaints Policy (including full details of how to contact us about Exploring the doors being opened by innovative mobility editorial complaints and IPSO’s contact details) can be found at www.bauermediacomplaints.co.uk. Our email address for editorial solutions, from car sharing to autonomous vehicles. complaints covered by the Editorial Complaints Policy is complaints@ bauermedia.co.uk. 48 Location, location, communication H Bauer Publishing is a company registered in England and Wales with The fight against road and rail congestion goes beyond company number LP003328, registered address Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DT. transport - the smartest thing is to reduce travel... 56 Finding the technological tipping point When will the public really start to buy into electric and autonomous vehicles? 64 Ethics, equality and contactless payments Smart transport technology has revolutionised travel, but is it leaving some people out in the process?

Analysis and 18 Daniel Ruiz The Chief Executive of Meridian Mobility UK says opinion society transformation is inevitable. Regular Columns 28 Alistair Kirkbride CoMoUK’s Executive Director invites you to redesign the motor car and rethink its role in society. Cover: Big Ben at night 46 Darren Shirley above the lights of Campaign for Better Transport Chief Executive explains passing cars. ALAMY. what is ‘smart’ and what is definitely not ‘smart’.

The views expressed in this publication are 54 Rachel Skinner not necessarily those of the Smart Transport UK Head of Development for WSP says it is time to ask Editorial Board. the smart questions through collaboration.

Issue 1-Jan 2019 3 What Smart Transport is all about An introduction by Stephen Joseph, former Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport

‘ mart’ is an overused word in the transport world. It is applied to About the author everything from better traffic lights Stephen Joseph is the Chairman Sthrough ride-sharing to autonomous of the Smart Transport Editorial vehicles. There are also many magazines Board and was Chief Executive and events focused on smart or ‘intelligent’ of the Campaign for Better mobility. So it’s worth setting out what Smart Transport for 30 years before Transport can bring the frenetic world of taking up a position as advisor to the charity last transport and technology. summer. He has also been a member of various First, a bit about me. I’ve come to this after government advisory groups, and was awarded 30 years as CEO of a small environmental an OBE in 1996 for services to transport. charity, the Campaign for Better Transport, which promotes sustainable transport policies (my successor, Darren Shirley, is also technology and the disruption it might bring, collaboration, engagement and partnerships involved in this project). This has meant I’ve and an obsession with autonomous vehicles between them, will bring benefits for both dealt with many different interests in and as the next big thing, with less focus on all sides. Only an active and engaged public around transport and have seen the advent the other opportunities and challenges that sector can make slogans such as ‘Mobility of new technologies being applied to the technology could bring to transport. as a Service’ into a reality on the ground, in sector. I’ve also talked to policymakers at In both cases, there is a tendency to focus which people pay for transport services as local and national level and have seen their on specific pathways and projects - in the a whole rather than for individual routes, preoccupations and priorities. case of technology companies and the operators or modes. And the technology From this, I’ve observed that there are deep private sector, to develop new clever ideas world is brimming with ideas and projects silos operating. There are policy statements for transport without considering their which could create really great places and from local and national government, and application in the real world. Transport policy solve the problems facing policymakers. pressure on them from their voters and meanwhile can in some places be driven by And that’s what Smart Transport is even from lawyers, but then you can hear old schemes revived, unaltered in any way, about - promoting engagement between presentations from technology or automotive as the answer to local transport problems. policymakers/advisers in the public sector people who seem to be ignorant of these This means that the wider questions - such as and key players in the private sector and pressures and are operating as if they didn’t “what kind of place do you want to live in?” - encouraging networking and knowledge exist. On the other side in the policy world, are passed over by both sides. transfer between key players in different parts there is a lot of misunderstanding about Cutting across these silos, and enabling of the private sector. A good starting point is where cities and their administrations are. They are facing a lot Only an active and engaged public sector can of pressures. Air pollution is a huge problem; there is ever increasing medical evidence that make slogans such as ‘Mobility as a Service’ pollutants from vehicles, especially diesel into a reality on the ground, in which people pay engines, harm human health in several ways, so cities are facing increasing public and for transport services as a whole rather than for political pressure, and legal challenges, to cut pollution. Emerging responses include the individual routes, operators or modes. And the Mayor of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone technology world is brimming with ideas and projects and proposal in other cities to charge vehicles entering highly polluted areas. There are also which could create really great places and solve increasing controls on where private vehicles, the problems facing policymakers. vans and trucks are allowed to go, with bus lanes, public realm improvements and cycle

4 Issue 1- Jan 2019 networks taking priority. blind spots. There is mounting evidence of Other cities can learn a lot from Congestion and the domination of road changes in young people’s travel (https:// London which has been a global leader traffic in public spaces is also a problem www.gov.uk/government/publications/young- in harnessing emerging technologies for cities - increasingly they are having to peoples-travel-whats-changed-and-why), and pioneering smart transport take decisions on prioritising road space with less car ownership and driving licence initiatives. JACK BOSKETT/SMART TRANSPORT. between different users. And they also face a holding than older generations, especially in challenge of social exclusion, of central areas cities. The growth of internet shopping has expectations of giving older and disabled that are commercially vibrant surrounded resulted in reduced car trips to shops and people much better travel with autonomous by low-income neighbourhoods where increased van travel. Yet the Government vehicles (AVs) coming to collect them and the priority is getting people to work and (and many politicians at local level too) find take them out to visit relatives and generally training opportunities in the central areas these changes difficult to imagine or allow reduce isolation in rural and suburban areas. and elsewhere. for, so rely on old projections based on past Even the most optimistic proponents of All of this can be summarised as a trends and travel patterns continuing. This AVs do not offer such visions soon, or maybe requirement to create attractive places where leads to an emphasis on building new roads ever. It is also clear that were any of this to people want to and are able to live, work and (see the recent Budget) rather than using happen it would result in huge changes in invest. Increasingly, cities are looking at what technology to make the roads (old and new) travel patterns - business as usual is the least they call “good growth” strategies, seeking smarter and more intelligent and joining likely option. So a task for Smart Transport to spread the benefits of growth rather than them up with other modes of transport. is to help policymakers understand the merely focus on high profile city centre Aside from the environmental and full range of options open to them and the redevelopment that has no impact elsewhere. sustainability arguments about road impacts and expectations to be placed on The different private sector players need to building (on which I spent a lot of my time them, and maybe moderate a fixation on AVs understand these pressures and work with at the Campaign for Better Transport), this to the exclusion of other innovation. cities to meet these requirements, and not represents a failure to understand current If AVs have too much attention, the operate in isolation from them. trends and opportunities for doing things opportunities presented by the gathering and In some cases, this might lead to new and differently and making more efficient use of use of transport data have too little. There unusual alliances - maybe cities could join transport systems we have now. As I noted is a lot of transport data around already. with logistics providers to put pressure on above, there is an obsession among policy Used properly it can help plan and manage van manufacturers to make left-hand drive makers with autonomous vehicles - and transport networks, give people much better electric vehicles for UK cities, or to get new it’s clear from talking to them that there is travel information and travel choices, and housing built with proper broadband. Smart an expectation that these will be available allow better value for money in transport Transport can help bring such alliances about very shortly, will cover the whole country spending. Hopefully, we can help explain to by identifying shared objectives. and will enable people to do the same trips policymakers how the much-used phrase ‘Big However, policy makers have their own as now, only without drivers. There are also Data’ can help them meet people’s needs

Issue 1- Jan 2019 5 and make good use of public money. collaboration that will bring the benefits of Into all this are arriving disruptors: large innovation. I hope that Smart Transport will Giving city companies, small start-ups and in some be able to showcase disruptors and identify cases social enterprises offering new mobility what tools policy makers will need to help authorities powers services and technologies. Some of them are them flourish and maximise their benefits to experiment but also aggregating journeys so as to use existing while minimising downsides. transport better; others are providing However, the UK should not beat itself manage disruptors, wholly new services, better information, up. It does have some advantages - and and also powers to new payment and marketing systems for in London it has a great model for change transport. and for harnessing technology. London has break down distinctions Dazzled by these disruptors, some pioneered the smartcard and contactless between taxis and commentators are foreseeing the death bank card as payment for transport and other of conventional public transport services, services; it has also opened up and made buses, will help create with autonomous, electric ride-sharing freely available its transport data, for others to the partnerships and replacing buses and metros. I’d say the make use of. London has innovated in other death of conventional public transport has areas too, but it has also been unafraid to set collaboration that will been much exaggerated - even Uber and boundaries for innovators and disruptors. Lyft have reinvented buses in some of their Notably, it withdrew Uber’s licence to operate bring the benefits US operations (“Uber Pool Express”) as the and has forced the company to change its of innovation. most efficient way to transport a number of practices as a result. people around a city. In the UK, where cities Less high profile has been Transport still have reasonable public transport and for London’s management of new service argue with the authorities in surrounding (unlike the US) there is still a large passenger providers such as Citymapper and Ford’s suburbs or at state government level to get rail network, it makes sense to use new Chariot on-demand bus services, where TfL anything done. technology to improve this public transport, insisted these should supplement rather This city region focus gives a much broader integrate it and supplement it with the new than replace or compete with other public scale for planning. Having said that, the services. In fairness, that is the business transport services. London also has three mayors in other English cities don’t have the model being adopted by most of the so-called statutory plans - the Mayor’s Transport same powers as the London Mayor does, disruptors. Strategy, the London Plan (the spatial though they are seeking to increase those This brings its own challenges for development plan for the city) and the that they have. Showcasing city plans and policymakers. It is widely recognised that Economic Development Strategy. These the directions of travel here and in other laws governing taxis and private hire vehicles interlink and feed off each other, allowing countries is another potentially helpful role are out of date, and indeed the distinction greater co-ordination between planning and for Smart Transport. in law between taxis and buses might need transport. A final challenge that Smart Transport to be revisited. More generally, cities would Other cities are learning from London might be able to pose and answer is - ‘what like the ability to experiment and apply but have also been innovating themselves. do ordinary people want and expect’? light-touch regulation to new ideas, and also More generally, the UK has an under- There is among public policymakers and powers to intervene to manage problems reported advantage, which is that it has among the private sector entrepreneurs an with new providers (for example, dockless focused on city regions, not just cities, for expectation that transport users will take to bikes littering the streets). Giving city its mayors. The Mayors in London, West new technologies - including apps, payment authorities such powers, to experiment but Midlands, Greater Manchester and Liverpool systems, new services and systems - and also manage disruptors, and also powers to cover the whole city region - their equivalents adopt and use them. break down distinctions between taxis and in other cities like Paris, Toronto and New Yet history is littered with technologies buses, will help create the partnerships and York cover a much smaller area so have to that failed and products that looked great in theory and had no attraction in practice. We know that people will take to some Miles driven by 18-30 year olds in England 1995-2015 innovations - smart ticketing, ride-sharing - but surveys suggest people are sceptical 8000 about autonomous vehicles, and while sympathetic to electric vehicles are worried 7000 about range and recharging. 6000 The innovators can reasonably retort that in the 1890s, if asked, people would have 5000 requested faster horses rather than cars, but the issue of user preferences is still to 4000 be tested. Hopefully Smart Transport can interrogate this too. 3000 Miles/person/year Smart Transport is a new venture - but I think there is plenty for it to do. By bringing 2000 people together from the public and private 1000 sectors who are thinking about transport in its broadest sense, we can hope to create 0 better understanding across different silos 1995 (Year) 2000 2005 2010 2015 and help people develop new partnerships Male Female Source: Noreen McDonald that work for everyone.

6 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Issue 1- Jan 2019 7 Current Editorial Board members

The Smart Transport Editorial Board meets quarterly to discuss the content of the previous issue and to debate current focus points in the industry that warrant exploration in the next issue

Stephen Matt Stephen Briers Dale Joseph Editor in Chief, Bauer Head of Mobility, Chairman Automotive B2B ALD Automotive of the Board Stephen Briers represents the views of 20,000 Matt Dale has led ALD Automotive’s Consultancy Stephen Joseph has recently stepped down as CEO businesses running hundreds of thousands of cars, Team for nearly five years and was crowned of Campaign for Better Transport, having been in vans and trucks, with whom he shares insight ‘Unsung Fleet Hero’ by the Energy Saving Trust in that role since 1988. Awarded an OBE in 1996 for and analysis as editor-in-chief of Fleet News’ November 2017. Previous roles include National services to transport and the environment, he is magazines, websites and events. LCV Sales Manager at Nissan Motors GB. now an independent transport policy advisor.

Richard Bruce Dr Jo Dally Edward Director of Energy, Head of City Partnerships Technology and Kulperger Lead, BP’s Advanced Vice President, Geotab Innovation, Department Mobility Unit for Transport Europe Richard Bruce was appointed in August 2016 to Dr Jo Dally leads the Advanced Mobility Unit at BP With 18 years of experience in the telematics lead on policy to move the nation’s road transport which was created to build material, sustainable industry, specialising in operations and business onto a more sustainable footing. His teams direct businesses for BP in a low carbon, digital future. development, Edward has delivered applications and deliver UK-wide policies and programmes Previously Head of Policy at the Royal Society. to the international telematics, automotive, fleet worth around £1 billion. Innovation in the Government Office of Science. management and wireless sectors.

Siobhan Campbell Carlota Hudgell Chris Lane Head of Central Research Smart Transport Lead, Head of Transport Team and Deputy Chief Bauer B2B Media Innovation, Transport for Scientific Advisor, West Midlands Department for Transport Prior to joining DfT in May 2016, Siobhan Carlota Hudgell joined Bauer Media in May 2016 Chris Lane is responsible for delivering change Campbell was responsible for policy evaluation at and is tasked with bringing the Smart Transport through people, processes and technology at the Department Energy and Climate Change and membership together by forging relationships TfWM. He is currently leading its Commercial also worked as deputy head of the Government with key market leaders, innovators and thought MaaS Initiative, and helped successfully deliver its Social Research Unit based in HM Treasury. leaders within the public and private sectors. Smartcard and Passenger Information schemes.

Rafael Cuesta Michael Hurwitz Ben Lawson Head of Innovation, Director of Transport Vice President of Strategy Transport for Greater Innovation, Transport for and Mobility for the UK Manchester and Vice London and Ireland, Enterprise Chairman, ERTRAC Holdings Having started his career in Colombia, Rafael Michael Hurwitz is responsible for making sure As VP of Strategy and Mobility for the UK & Cuesta has worked on the NET tram development transport in the capital is ready for the future and Ireland, Ben Lawson is responsible for the at Nottingham City Council, and held other helping determine which new business models strategic development of all lines of Enterprise public transport operational and policy roles at or services could help address challenges facing Holdings’ business in both countries, while driving Birmingham City Council, TfWM and now TfGM. the city. efficiencies and growth within the organisation.

8 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Sam Li Dr Daniel Ruiz Adam Simmons Senior Innovation Officer, Chief Executive, Meridian Director, Future Road Transport for Greater Mobility UK Investment Strategies Manchester

Sam Li is the Transport Thematic Lead of the Dr Daniel Ruiz joined Meridian Mobility UK as Adam Simmons joined Highways England in Cityverve project in Greater Manchester, which CEO in January 2018 having previously led a October 2017 to head up the team responsible is an InnovateUK-funded project and the UK’s 500-strong team at Dynniq UK. He now leads the for the organisation’s preparation for the second demonstrator for smart cities and the Internet of UK’s £100 million connected and autonomous Road Investment Period (2020-2025). He had Things. vehicle (CAV) programme. previously led a number of projects at the DfT.

Stewart Khaled M Shahbo Jason Corporate Vice President/ Lightbody Managing Director for the Torrance Head of Fleet Services, UK and Ireland, Enterprise Clean Air Cities Director, Anglian Water Holdings UK100 Stewart Lightbody joined Anglian Water in January Khaled M Shahbo has been with Enterprise since Jason Torrance has 25 years’ experience in various 2014. The company provides the largest water and its inception 24 years ago. He was appointed to disciplines. He is a respected partnership convener, water recycling service in England and Wales by his current role in 2015 with responsibility for all and has previously held roles as Policy Director at geographic area, and operates a fleet comprising three Enterprise Holding Brands – Enterprise Rent- Sustrans and Co-chair of the Stakeholder Advisory 700 company cars, 1,800 vans and 200 HGVs. A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car. Group at Highways England.

Tim Lucas Elliot Shaw Martin Managing Director, Bauer Executive Director, Tugwell B2B Media Highways England Director, England’s Economic Heartlands Tim Lucas began working with Bauer Media Within Highways England, Elliot Shaw has Martin Tugwell is director for a strategic alliance in 2009 and led the restructuring of its B2B responsibility for the development of the strategy of county and unitary councils and Local operations in the UK while also overseeing for the Strategic Road Network, the company’s Enterprise Partnerships spanning from Oxfordshire the business’s recent growth in the rail and organisational transformation agenda, analytical to Cambridgeshire that is promoting a new model automotive sectors. and economist functions and key relationships. of integration for strategic planning and delivery.

Andy Pascoe Darren Mike Waters Business Development Shirley Director of Policy, Director, Meridian Strategy & Innovation, Chief Executive, Campaign Mobility UK Transport for West for Better Transport Midlands Andy Pascoe has represented high performance Darren Shirley was previously leading the Which? Mike Waters is responsible for establishing many technology brands for his whole career. campaign in regulated and retail markets before of the collaborative public environment Intelligent Initially he spent over a decade in Formula 1 joining Campaign for Better Transport in August Mobility projects and connected vehicle projects in before moving into defence, aerospace and 2018. He has also worked for Green Peace UK, Coventry and across the West Midlands. He sits on automotive. National Energy Action and WWF. the Meridian CAV Hub Advisory Board.

Professor Dr Mike Short CBE Caroline Watson Chief Scientific Adviser, Programme Director, Nick Reed Transportation and Urban Head of Mobility R&D, Department for International Trade Planning, C40 Cities Bosch Climate Leadership Group Having previously worked at Transport Research Dr Mike Short CBE joined DIT in December 2017 Caroline Watson is Co-director of Transportation Laboratory, Professor Nick Reed holds a visiting as the department’s first ever chief scientific and Urban Planning at C40 Cities which professorship at the University of Surrey 5G advisor following 30 years in telecommunications represents over 90 of the world’s largest cities Innovation Centre. His role at Bosch centres on with Telefonica. He is currently a visiting professor committed to tackling climate change. She also research to improve mobility in cities. at five universities including Coventry and Leeds. leads the Zero Emissions Vehicle Network.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 9 .

SMART TRANSPORT SMART JACK BOSKETT/ JACK

10 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Finding the missing link Holistic thinking’s one thing, but Mark Smulian asks whether joined-up action for land use and transport policy is possible

uilding a large new mainline range of subjects to be considered means station near to only a few that lines must be drawn somewhere About dozen homes and nothing to make them manageable? the author much else might look perverse, Siobhan Campbell, head of the central B Mark Smulian is a but Cambridge North stands as a rare research team and Deputy Chief Scientific freelance journalist example of holistic thinking being Advisor at the Department for Transport specialising in local applied to planning and transport. (DfT) says: “People are aware of the silos government, law, travel, It is there to meet the needs of large problem and accept that something needs transport, housing, planned developments, in particular the to be done. It is structurally difficult though, construction and planning. He has featured in a city’s science park, and one day it should and I worry we have not cracked it. wide range of publications including the Local be busy. Contrast this with Warrington’s “The problem is that managing a Government Chronicle, Civil Service World, Law Chapelford Urban Village. According to the complex system is difficult so people will Society Gazette and the Sunday Telegraph. He is sustainable planning and transport group manage what they are responsible for and, also a former editor of Housing Today and news Transport for New Homes (TfNH) the even within transport, integration is really editor at Inside Housing and Surveyor. first domestic properties were sold on the challenging. I’m not sure we have the 80 hectares former RAF site in 2003, but necessary set of tools, and it’s not for want Warrington West station is due to bring a of trying. Probably the answer lies in the Regions (DETR), led by then Deputy Prime train service to Chapelford only in mid-2019. fields of operational research and systems Minister John Prescott from Labour’s 1997 It’s clear that transport, housing and other engineering, but we do not yet have great victory until 2002. DETR reflected Prescott’s services and amenities can be planned well examples of the tools there being applied.” enthusiasm for joining up these policy areas, together, but that does not always happen. Richard Bruce, DfT Director of Energy, but its relatively short existence suggests it Add into the mix potentially rapid changes Technology and Innovation, has led some did not solve the problem - environment was like electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles changes to try to demolish silos. “I have separated off in 2002 and transport in 2006. and mobility-on-demand services and it joint teams on low emissions vehicles, air Steve Gooding, now Director of the becomes clear there is another danger. quality and autonomous vehicles,” he says. RAC Foundation, worked in DETR and Planning for homes and jobs without the “It is different to the traditional Whitehall recalls that bringing people together was transport infrastructure to support them approach where one department would harder than it appeared. He says: “The silo is one thing, but a further complication want to do something and write to other problem is one of historical making, as to is the need to plan for the transport of departments to see what they wanted. run any complicated business you have the future, not just what we have now. This is trying to get that done beforehand to divide up the spreadsheet somehow, It’s a common complaint that planning by joining up ideas. DfT also works with for example between highways, public for land use, homes, transport, energy teams in local government to know what transport and capital and current spending. and employment exist in ‘silos’, whether is going on, as there is a good chance “I’ve been suspicious of the idea that because of departmental divisions in innovations will happen first in cities if something is done in DfT as well as central and local government, or perhaps and they will be in the vanguard as they something related in the Ministry of differences in professional training. Rather have transport and licensing powers.” Housing, if only we merged them it less heard about are workable solutions for Senior civil servants can see the silo would all be straightforward - all you do is demolishing these silos so that policy areas problem, and those old enough to remember change the name, not the organisation. work together and are alive to innovations. will know that there was once a huge “I was at DETR and it meant Indeed, while holistic thinking about experiment in silo-demolition in Whitehall. genuine tensions that needed to be these issues might be successful, is holistic This was carried out by the Department recognised and thought through action even possible given that the vast of the Environment, Transport and the and reconciled were brushed under the carpet once it was merged.” Gooding says it is important to recognise There is a good chance innovations that planning decisions that make good sense on their own terms have transport will happen first in cities and they consequences that might be missed. will be in the vanguard as they have “For example, a new hospital on the edge of a town is readily accessible from one side transport and licensing powers. but not the other, so you need to build a very big car park and then most people will choose to drive there,” he says. “It is very Richard Bruce, Director of Energy, Technology and Innovation, Department for Transport hard to solve. All life is about trade-offs, and very few things achieve total consensus.”

Issue 1- Jan 2019 11 We are starting to get combined authorities and sub-national transport bodies such as Transport for the North, but we don’t yet know how those will work.

James Harris, Policy and Networks Manager, The Royal Town Planning Institute

If it’s problematic to consistently join “The silo problem falls down through up policy across Whitehall departments to local level. We are starting to get how much more so is joining that with combined authorities and sub-national the confusing patchwork of local and transport bodies such as Transport for the regional bodies now emerging? Unitary North, but we don’t yet know how those councils exercise all powers in their area will work. I have some sympathy with but elsewhere counties are responsible for central government as they are set up in highway and waste planning, while districts departments to do specific things and it cover land use planning and housing. must be difficult to integrate that, which is To further complicate matters combined why it would be better to devolve as much authorities have emerged in Greater as possible to city region or county level.” Manchester, Merseyside, the West Midlands, Harris says the loss of regional spatial Tees Valley, North of the Tyne, Cambridge- strategies and regional assemblies, after Peterborough and Bristol-Bath - each with the Coalition dismantled them, made a different devolution deal - while Greater joined-up policy across more than one London has long had devolved powers. A council area even more difficult to achieve, tortuous internal dispute has delayed the final but the industrial strategy “has been a definition of devolved bodies in Yorkshire. new approach and may be a better way to There is considerable variation both in join up policy because it has given central the degree to which local authorities are government broad themes to work with joined up internally, and these combined rather than individual policy areas”. authorities with their constituent councils. The industrial strategy means Richard Gooding notes: “Take the Mayor of Bruce has an additional piece of joining-up London’s expanded ultra-low emissions to do around innovation in the DfT, as zone, which takes in residential parts mobility is among the strategy’s four parts, Cambridge North opened in May of outer London. If you don’t have the others being artificial intelligence, the 2017 to not just serve the city’s science an idea of the travel options for those ageing society and low carbon technology. park, but support new development people you could find you’re cutting off To progress electric and autonomous in the surrounding area. There is an their access to work and services. vehicles and on-demand mobility he interchange with Cambridgeshire “Translate that thought to Leeds, for must work across government to ensure Guided Busway and cycle space for example, where public transport offerings the UK benefits both industrially and in 1,000 bikes. PAUL BIGLAND. are less dense than in central London. You transport terms from them. He says: “The might still seek similar policy outcomes future of mobility is our great challenge. something was a car, or a bike or van or on clean air and you’d really want your It’s about changes that are happening whatever. Now there is more granularity,” transport strategy to look at all the options, simultaneously, for example electric cars he says. “There are electric bikes, mopeds not have one report to council about may become lower cost and there may be and trikes and there will be a lot of new highways, one on rail and another on buses. better batteries meaning almost anything ideas and modes for different things. It “Problems come because that is pretty could become electrically powered; you is all changing and we have to get ready much what does happen. Highway could have hybrid planes, boats and trams. for the industrial opportunity this gives maintenance budgets are in large part “Then there are services such as Uber the UK, not just the transport benefits.” provided by DfT, money for trunk roads goes which are very disruptive. It could be that Some innovations might even recently to Highways England and money to subsidise in future you pay monthly for a transport have sounded like science fiction but Bruce buses through general council funds.” subscription for trains, bikes, cars - say £40 says they are approaching quickly and the The Royal Town Planning Institute buys you a certain amount of travel in any major questions over their adoption may also recognises this problem of mode. There are also major tech companies be not so much technical as cultural. disjointed approaches, says Policy and coming into the travel market, with Apple “Autonomy is happening though Networks Manager James Harris. and Google moving in quickly, and then there is a question over whether “It probably isn’t possible to get rid of silos there is Tesla. It’s a huge shift in something consumers will really be happy using as the problem starts in central government that has remained the same for a century.” a vehicle with no driver,” he says. and cascades down to local level and is Bruce says these innovations will lead “People are perfectly happy flying in made worse by the lack of any regional to a blurring of modes making it difficult aircraft that is controlled by a computer intermediate layer apart from London, and to continue to plan for them individually large parts of the time, or travelling on very recently Greater Manchester,” he says. even were that desirable. “It used to be the [London Underground] Victoria

12 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Line, which could be driverless, but it may be different with a road vehicle.” User expectations evolve and Siobhan Campbell can see data issues around public acceptance of transport requirements change. There is a big innovations. “Most new transport modes risk that we end up with a really disaffected depend on data to make them work and if the data for an autonomous vehicle, travelling public unless we can say, is different from a bus or a taxi it integrate the systems. is difficult to integrate,” she says. “User expectations evolve and Siobhan Campbell, Deputy Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Transport requirements change. There is a big risk that we end up with a really disaffected travelling public unless we can integrate the systems. can regulate how that is used and shared.” need roads and there is a risk of more They expect to be able to sit at home and She also says that transport innovations congestion if anything. Problems caused use an app to plot a journey between modes can affect policy areas quite remote from by obesity and heart disease may increase and they want it to be seamless. Indeed, housing and planning if the implications in people who are no longer walking someone recently asked me what is the point are not thought through. Door-to-door and we should promote active travel.” of cutting the journey time from London autonomous transport might sound inviting The RAC Foundation’s Steve Gooding to Birmingham if on arrival you have to and might well be technically feasible points to another example of well- hang around 20 minutes for a bus or taxi?” but there is a problem of unintended intentioned policies with negative impacts There is also a cultural concern about consequences. “What does that do to elsewhere. Brighton and Hove is noted for data, with Campbell noting that we anti-obesity strategies if people no longer its good bus service and council road safety may have reached peak data trust in the even have to walk to a bus stop?” she asks. policies - the city is replete with 20mph degree of public willingness to have its “There is also an equity issue - what does speed limits and ‘sleeping policemen’. It data held and used by official bodies. government do to ensure transport stays has also been provided with low emission She says: “We need to overcome that. available to all and deal with market failure?” hybrid buses, and the two may not mix. Central government holds relatively little TfNH shares these concerns about health “Brighton is a mix of joined up and transport data. Most is in private or local policy. Researcher Joey Talbot comments: unjoined policy,” says Gooding. “You don’t government hands but central government “Autonomous vehicles are still going to want to send a hybrid bus up a hill with

Issue 1- Jan 2019 13 lots of pedestrian crossings and sleeping joining up transport with other policy areas vehicles, automation and moves to Mobility policeman because the stop-start means you can be. But how much more so when the as a Service will mean that if I get to M25 are over-working a diesel engine that is also nature of the transport involved is so unclear? junction 3 I won’t still be in a queue of traffic.” having to lug around an electric motor.” Gooding believes the future in transport One example of forward thinking about Technological innovations can be terms is about as uncertain as it has ever joining up transport policy with land use exciting but should not detract from the been and the best we can do is think and housing is emerging in the Oxford- need to keep the infrastructure already in very hard about how much we might Cambridge corridor, at least at one end. place in good condition and, if possible, regret those decisions if in 20 years’ time James Palmer, the Conservative elected adaptable to new vehicle types. our forecasts turn out to be wrong. mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Matthew Lugg, President of the Chartered “Take the Dartford Crossing,” Peterborough Combined Authority, has Institution of Highways and Transportation, he says. “It is many per cent above come up with a transport solution to the says: “Things are moving fast but I’m not design capacity so the Government burgeoning growth of Cambridge and its sure it means we should plan for less traffic concluded it needs another crossing. surroundings that is certainly innovative as the roads will still be used by autonomous “But it’s important that the Government - though may have both technical and vehicles or electric ones and we may see looks at a range of possible futures, some financial hurdles - but which he says increased traffic, for example as shops close with high travel growth and some low, and is being planned in an integrated way on the high streets there’ll be a proliferation considers what might cause those things with the Oxford-Cambridge road and of delivery vans for online retailers. to happen. It would recognise that building rail links planned by the Government. “We cannot assume these innovations will a new crossing might be quite poor value Oxford and Cambridge are two make it less important to maintain highways for money on the balance of probabilities. powerhouses of the ‘knowledge economy’ and we will need to supply the infrastructure “We don’t need any traffic growth for there based on their respective universities, yet new vehicles will need, such as charging to be massive queues at Dartford Crossing. road links between them are poor and there points, and perhaps changed road markings Many parts are already horribly overcrowded has not been a direct rail link since 1967, or electronic equipment they use to navigate.” and there’d have to be a reduction in travel for although most of the track remains. Places Issues with policy links, technology, data those problems to go away. It feels unlikely along the route such as Bedford, Aylesbury and infrastructure show just how complex that the combined forces of electrification of and Milton Keynes are also growing fast and are important to the economy. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott’s efforts to join up policy areas and Palmer’s idea is to create an integrated, government departments in Whitehall were met with little success between 1997- autonomous rapid mass transit system 2002. ALAMY. for Greater Cambridge and beyond “to

14 Issue 1- Jan 2019 alleviate chronic congestion and foster The expansion of Nottingham’s continued economic growth”. The Metro Express Transit network was part would serve transport corridors to St Neots, funded by a workplace parking levy. Mildenhall and Haverhill, with a short Nottingham City Council is the section under central Cambridge intended only local authority to date that has to be tunnelled. Metro stations would successfully funded local transport accommodate bus passengers, pedestrians improvements by using this mechanism. and cyclists to change mode, but have PAUL BIGLAND. minimal car parking. Vehicles are yet to be specified but are expected to be rubber tyred, bluntly characterised it in an interim report electrically powered tram-like vehicles. as facing “a chronic undersupply of homes The transport corridors can bring forward made worse by poor east-west transport significant new housing with garden connectivity”. Oxford and Cambridge’s villages, and with the intention that the economic success made them “two of the Metro infrastructure will be in place first. least affordable cities in the UK…and the It will link to the reborn Oxford- area as a whole has consistently failed to Cambridge rail line at the city’s build the number of homes it needs”. present and future stations. The commission added: “Investment in Rob Hopgood, the partner who leads on infrastructure, including enhanced east- the Oxford-Cambridge corridor at planning west transport links, can help to address consultant Bidwells, says: “The combined these challenges, but it must be properly authority is thinking big on infrastructure for aligned with a strategy for new homes and road and rail and that is supposed to be built communities, not developed in isolation.” by 2030 and the new settlements by 2050, the This has not happened before, with idea being that you could get from one city the commission noting that in 2012-15 to the other by car or train in 75 minutes. the average number of homes built each “But by the time they are built we may year in the corridor was 12,250, some be travelling very differently, we may be 7,900 fewer than the assessed need. using electric and/or autonomous vehicles It’s clear that there are organisational, - indeed a few are being tested in Milton financial and cultural hurdles to holistic He gives the example of Seville’s widely- praised network of cycle lanes. “A lot of work was done, then along came one politician It’s important that the Government who saw a moment to push it through and looks at a range of possible futures, did,” he says. “You could have had all the same diligent work by professionals, but unless some with high travel growth and some somebody brings together it won’t happen.” low, and considers what might cause Nottingham is an example of bold thinking, he says, where the council in those things to happen. 2012 imposed a workplace parking levy - still the UK’s only one - and devoted the Director, The RAC Foundation Steve Gooding, proceeds to extending the city’s tram system. Gooding worked on this and says: Keynes. I would say they are generally not approaches to transport and other policy “The net result is that Nottingham is thinking about the future, but about transport areas in central and local government. But, more accessible. It wasn’t easy, but the as it is now, when it needs infrastructure also, that while technology is not static the money was raised, the promises on that will adapt to whatever comes.” cultural shifts that would underpin, say, spending were met and I would say the He points to hit-and-miss joining up autonomous vehicles happen unpredictably people of Nottingham think it was a good of local development to date with the when a new technology reaches a critical thing. Any big change requires political new settlement of Cambourne (nine mass of accessibility and people alter the bravery, but also a burning platform.” miles west of Cambridge) having no habits of a lifetime and adopt new ways. The UK faces future trends that include station, while Northstowe (off the A14 The coming changes will involve a decline in high street retailing, young between Cambridge and Huntingdon) both new forms of transport but also people not taking up driving at the rate has no station but is on a guided busway perhaps limits on existing ones for their parents did, technological change in and Waterbeach (six miles north-east of environmental reasons. How can potential vehicles, concern about sustainability and Cambridge) may have its station moved solutions command public support? the possibility of mobility on demand rather to serve an adjacent development. Gooding believes the possibilities depend than car ownership becoming the norm. It remains to be seen if the mayor’s on local and national political leaders having If a simple way existed for transport ambitions come to fruition and how quickly the commitment to a policy and being able to be holistically linked to all the other the road and rail links are built, but Bruce to seize opportunities. He says anyone matters that it affects, that would have rates the Oxford-Cambridge corridor as standing for election has to be able to say: been adopted decades ago. The sort of “a good example of getting everyone to “I know you have chosen to own and run integration being used by the DfT and talk about which sites are to be used”. motor cars to get to work but we have this others perhaps offers a way forward but The National Infrastructure Commission air quality problem in the town centre, so I’m above all it is a matter of professionals and has recognised that the corridor is in great proposing a solution. But we will still get you local and national politicians being willing need of holistic thinking about its future. It to work and the shops. Are you with me?” to talk to and learn from each other.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 15 Jim Steer encouragement that can be had from the to Stephen Gooding’s angst at the DETR (sadly rare) examples of good joined-up experience, as described by Mark in his Director and planning and from a hope that professionals article. Joined up policy and planning needs Founder, Steer will reach out and learn from each other. A to happen at a devolved level to make it Group smattering of examples is one thing, but I manageable. do wonder whether joined-up land use and Right now, we have incredibly light-touch transport policy is actually possible. planning guidance at a national scale. This To answer this, we might first acknowledge can remain, but what is needed in addition ark Smulian has given us a that a number of other countries achieve is devolved responsibility (with duties great tour d’horizon on a subject this routinely, among them the Netherlands, and obligations to plan across the sectors Mthat plagues the transport sector Denmark and Switzerland; even China. So, – transport, land use, industrial strategy, – the difficulty of joining-up transport what’s different about the UK that makes it addressing climate change – spelt out) and arrangements with wider development. seem so intractable? we need devolved funding too. By doing Smart transport solutions cannot by Two things perhaps. The first is our aversion this means we can expect to get buy-in from themselves crack this problem: they tend to planning. Not just physical planning, town communities for development and more to continue to treat transport services as a and country style, as practised for 30 years realism around how to spend the scarce free-standing market. True, there is already after World War II (when we could think big resources available. much thinking about smart cities, and this and plan new cities of a quarter of a million Meanwhile, DfT can focus on big-picture work starts from a premise that it would be population), but to planning anything. policy concerns like the national infrastructure madness not to look at everything together: Unbelievably, politicians often claim planning investment needed to achieve a switch away the internet of things just takes you there. is standing in the way of progress. from carbon-intensive energy sources for Some helpful insights have been The second is that Britain is, according to transport. It even has a ready-made agency extracted from various luminaries that HM Treasury’s Sharon White speaking in available to help it fulfil this function - the take the reader away from first-thought 2015, the most centralised developed country National Infrastructure Commission. And this - but, it seems, ill-advised - solutions like in the world. The problem this creates is has the further virtue of having started life as a combining government departments. that the joining-up has to be done at central child of Treasury with no sectoral allegiances. But I was left wanting more than the government level - and then we’re back As a department of central government, DfT

Martin funding, primarily because of the need/desire I agree with the point about needing to have to achieve a particular policy objective and it the right tools for the job (as mentioned by Tugwell is also best placed to manage risks associated the DfT’s Siobahn Campbell) – but even here Programme with getting the permissions required to the article is behind the times. At EEH, we deliver that objective. By comparison, the are investing in a strategic policy model that Director, England’s private sector would price any uncertainty into enables us to examine and explore the relative Economic the cost of forward funding investment. implications of alternative policy scenarios Heartland Strategic Alliance It is in part in response to that latter point over the medium to long term. The key that we at England’s Economic Heartland points to pick up on are that this is scenario- Strategic Alliance (EEH) are promoting the planning work (as promoted by the Chartered ark Smulian’s article need for a geographically specific National Institution of Highways and Transportation’s perpetuates a number of received Policy Statement for the Oxford-Milton FUTURES initiative, led by Prof Glenn Lyons) Mwisdoms, meaning it misses out Keynes-Cambridge arc. One of the key and that it is based on looking at the relative on some of the more recent thinking being arguments in support of such an approach implications of scenarios. undertaken at the strategic, regional level - is the benefit of what is in effect a long-term Such an approach enables us to look beyond thinking that actually answers the challenges commitment (one that extends beyond a the current paradigm and to explore the set in the feature. single Political cycle) from the Government relative implications of alternative paradigms. The initial couple of examples referred to to realising the potential of the arc. Get that If I think about the Oxford-MK-Cambridge are portrayed as contrasting what happens established, get the NPS in place and one arc the narrative here is that we are looking when one does or does not adopt a joined-up immediately sends a very powerful signal of at transformational growth, where through approach to transport planning - I’d argue intent to institutional investors operating in the combination of investment in strategic they are more likely to illustrate the challenges the private sector. infrastructure we will fundamentally change associated with our approach to delivery and The ‘silos’ argument is over-played. As the the nature and shape of both strategic housing the challenges of funding and financing. RAC Foundation’s Steve Gooding explains, market areas and functional economic areas. The reason Cambridge North was put there is always going to be a need to place Add into the mix the need to plan for and in ahead of need is as much likely to be a activity and interventions into a structure - deliver transformational growth in a way that consequence of someone being prepared particularly when it comes to delivery. The achieves net betterment and the limitations of to up-front the cost of delivering that issue is not the existence of silos - it’s people. the traditional approach to developing the case infrastructure and then underwriting the cost Through the Sub-national Transport Bodies, for investment becomes even clearer. of services using it. This is, therefore, an issue we are rediscovering our ability to do genuine We are seeking to change the scale, of forward funding. Experience suggests it is strategic thinking, and we used to have this distribution and type of future travel demand. the public sector (in one of its disguises) that capability in the Regional Assemblies (which That requires a scenario-based approach, one is best placed to act as the source of forward were statutory Regional Planning Bodies). that enables decision-makers to explore what

16 Issue 1- Jan 2019 it enables the partners promoting the STB to The article becomes overly-focused on what could be much reduced in scale. While its seek the powers required to support/deliver the technological opportunities are and how function on big-ticket issues that are truly their respective Transport Strategies. we deal with the uncertainty - rather than national - hub airports, port investment, One thing the article doesn’t develop - coming from a perspective of how we and high-speed rail - must be retained, it will although it is hinted at when talking about future generations would want our transport need to work in partnership with devolved silos at the local level - is the issue of capital/ system to deliver. If we come at it from the authorities. This way we should be able to revenue funding. Constraints imposed by latter perspective by setting out in broad terms avoid jigsaw pieces going missing. Government in the classification of investment what we want our communities and our lives Transport, along with the fashionable tends to shape decision-making when it to look like, then we can set the framework concept of mobility, is essentially a derived comes to identifying investment requirements. within which individual public and private demand. Travel arises because of activities A related theme is the use of ‘challenge’ sector organisations do what they do best and that people need or want to engage in at a funds - the scenario where Government apply the technology and innovation they particular time and place. It’s an economic announces a ring-fenced amount of money possess to achieve our vision for the future. good that carries with it very substantial for investment in projects that address specific Which brings me back to the fact that a baggage. A good journey for one person issues. The challenge with these is two- key ingredient missing from the debate is the can be a factor in poor air quality and poor fold: first it forces organisations to promote need to rediscover our ability and capability health outcomes for someone else. particular types of solutions in order to receive to undertake genuine strategic transport/ Smart thinking on transport requires funding. Such an approach restricts the ability infrastructure planning. Towards the end us to recognise this reality and feel of organisations to target the funding at the of the article there is a sequence on the comfortable with looking first at right issues for their area. Second, the rise of National Infrastructure Commission’s draft overarching societal aims - around quality ‘challenge’ type funding pots often encourages report (2016) for the Oxford-MK-Cambridge of life, say, rather than transport solutions. organisations to spend time and resources corridor. This needs to be updated to reflect Then we can make progress with flair pulling together funding from different pots to not only the proposals set out in the NIC’s in design, community involvement, and enable them to fund what is actually required. final report but also the Government’s formal thinking about what users (of all sorts) While it’s appropriate and important to response, published in November 2018 – two want from travel arrangements. And then make the linkage with the Government’s years after the NIC draft report. good transport solutions, necessarily joined Industrial Strategy the article needs to The way in which the report is characterised up, will readily follow. avoid creating the impression that it is the is a manifestation of why our current approach mechanism for joining- up policy. The grand to strategic thinking does not help the desire challenges rightly need to be seen as drivers to have a holistic approach. This is not all about for change and, if used correctly, to shape the housing. Yes, the NIC draft report talks about strategic vision and overarching framework the challenges facing the housing sector, but sort of future they want for their communities for a region can incentivise investment in this is in the context of the NIC seeing that as a and businesses. innovative ideas/solutions that better respond constraint on economic growth. The challenge in terms of trying to achieve to the needs of customers. The strategic political and business leaders an approach that is holistic is to invest in We also need to be careful when across the arc view the challenges as much people with the skills, capability and time talking about innovations such as Uber - more nuanced. They know, for example, that to do genuine strategic planning: develop fundamentally this is a customer-focused productivity across the arc is not at levels that the tools that help enable consideration of app that has disrupted the taxi hiring market. enable businesses to compete as effectively different scenarios and then once decision- The extent to which it has disrupted the as they need to in global markets. Improving makers have their direction of travel, empower overarching business models that are used productivity will help deliver a significant uplift existing agencies like Highways England to across the whole transport system is more in the value of the economy without the need use existing tools such as WebTAG to develop questionable. If we are to meet the challenge for additional workforce. the detail. In this way, we will define the vision of delivering transformational growth and Now the self-same leaders accept that and strategic framework that then enables realising net gain, then we will need more delivering transformational growth on functional activities to be undertaken in the fundamental shifts in the business models the scale identified by the NIC will not be silos that are needed to deliver on the ground. beyond replacing a black cab with an Uber cab. delivered by improved productivity alone – When looking at the various forms of The reason for continuing to talk about there will be a need for additional housing. But governance, the article makes a mistake in what is starting to emerge from the STBs is an approach that is focused on economic inferring that the situation in the emerging that these are not - as suggested in the article growth, delivered through a combination of Sub-national Transport Bodies is comparable - bodies whose functions/activities are unclear investment in infrastructure that improves with that in London. The legislative framework but rather they are at the forefront of tackling productivity plus some additional housing for London is different from the STBs - some of the concerns set out. is more likely to be sustainable in the longer moreover that the tools available to London An issue that is not touched on is that of term than an approach that is driven first and (in terms of its control over the Tube, buses, ensuring that our approach and thinking is foremost by an over-emphasis on housing. etc) are also different. The point made about inclusive. There is emphasis on the potential This reinforces the fact that one of our the challenges of having a number of types role of technology, yet for those parts of our greatest challenges is having access to the of governance is valid although the inference communities that are just about managing, we skills and capabilities that enable proper that the Mayoral Combined Authorities bring need to think whether there is a danger that strategic transport/infrastructure planning. For strategic leadership misrepresents the reality. over-emphasis on the high value innovation the avoidance of doubt this does not require When it comes to the emerging STBs risks creating or extending a divide within establishing massive new teams of people – it the powers and responsibilities will be on a society - if you are a single parent family is about investing in skills and capabilities that bespoke basis - reflecting the requests of the struggling to run a 15-year-old car, then help set the vision and overarching framework, partners promoting a statutory STB: this is promoting a world of high-tech CAVs risks within which our existing organisations can probably the most appropriate way forward as accentuating the divide that exists in society. then operate.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 17 About the Steering the author Dr Daniel Ruiz joined Meridian as CEO transport revolution in January 2018 to lead the UK’s £100 Society transformation is inevitable, says million connected CAV programme. Prior to this Daniel lead a Dr Daniel Ruiz, Chief Executive of Meridian 500-strong team as MD of Dynniq, tackling traffic challenges with technology-based Mobility UK. But he wonders whether mobile solutions. Daniel gained his engineering degree nirvana can be achieved in our lifetimes from Selwyn College, Cambridge and his PhD in engineering from New College, Oxford.

re we in control of the future? connectivity, autonomous drive software, No - but we can certainly mapping, the human machine interface, leader in this transport revolution. influence it. Saying we are cyber security, transport systems, and other But there is a very long way to go in Agoing to transform society is enabling products, services and systems. designing our mobile future, and we are ignoring the fact that we are travelling with A comprehensive, holistic approach entering what is often referred to as the significant velocity and all we can do is is essential. The temptation is to create ‘valley of death’ in innovation circles. This nudge the steering, accelerate or brake. stronger silos to make the problem more is when great concepts struggle to make it In truth, a confluence of accelerators is at manageable (“Ignore the complexity: to the commercial stage because success play: societal, economic and technological. compromise and strive for mediocrity!”). only comes when all the pieces on the There are enormous pressures to achieve But this approach would fail, leaving us as table are ready to be slotted together. greater purpose, greater safety and less slaves to internationally developed solutions One of the pieces is transport stress, combined with greater productivity to the mobility challenge: having to import infrastructure. This has lagged behind and greater wealth at lower cost. And these rather than self-supply the products and vehicle development and is arguably outcomes are enabled by technological services which we cannot do without. putting achievement of the wider social advances that mean that transport (or the But there is another paradox at play: no and economic benefits at risk. emerging ‘science’ of mobility) is driving country can develop mobility solutions There is an undeniable tension between a social revolution. So even if we do not at the optimal rate without collaborating the phenomenal rate of development of have control we do have influence. with others. And there are areas such as 21st century mobility solutions (including For any of those who think of themselves safety which are of universal importance traffic technologies and app-based services as engineer philosophers, politicians, or and where independent working would or ‘intelligent infrastructure’), and the social scientists, this is an immensely exciting be irresponsible. This is a global challenge persisting decade-scale lifecycle of roads time. It is undeniable that there are massive and to be among the winners we have to and other large, high cost, low return-on- theoretical efficiencies and benefits to be collaborate with others at the global top table. investment, ‘unintelligent’ infrastructure. The had by making all transport connected, To make optimal progress we also need slow rate of decision-making in traditional automated, shared and electric (CASE). This focus. This requires leadership as shown transport circles is understandable and it potential is reflected in the forecast value of in the UK by the Automotive Council, has been argued that the lifecycle issue the road-based mobility market: between representing the whole of the industry applies to the automotive industry too. £900 million and £1.4 trillion by 2035. from original equipment manufacturers From memory, the standardised Ford The reality is that we are only just moving (OEMs) to suppliers to unions. Their Product Development System (FPDS) used up the first part of the maturity curve and example complements the leadership to state that a facelift should take 24-36 we will not achieve mobile nirvana for a shown by government through the Centre months, and a full new vehicle programme long time. Stating with conviction when we for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles would take at least five years from concept will get there is not that important. What (CCAV) which, uniquely, has roots in both the to ‘Job 1+90 days’. But the current truth is is important is to enable progress and to Departments for Business and for Transport. that a company like NIO in China can get ensure we can frequently adjust our direction: Industry, government and academia have from nothing to medium-scale manufacture taking what in product development come together behind the UK’s industrial of a mature vehicle in three years. This must might be termed a ‘sprint’ approach. strategy and its four pillars: Artificial be because they are tearing up some of the Mobility is indeed the key to productivity, Intelligence, Ageing Population, Clean conventions. It may be because there are prosperity and purpose. But mobility is Growth and Future of Mobility. Building some compromises being made on quality also a multi-dimensional, multi-sector on this, we have an evolving regulatory or functionality. The fact remains that they (and some may say chaotic) concept, which landscape and major investment programmes are halving the product development time. needs to be tackled on many fronts. which are underpinned by a maturing I suspect the main reason they are able to A vehicle-centric view of the world testing & development environment do this is because they are taking a novel, illustrates how the challenge has become (coordinated by Meridian Mobility UK). integrated and lean approach. Nothing more complex. With the evolution of artificial A wide cross-section of UK industry new: look at Lockheed’s World War II intelligence and telecommunications, the is now gathered behind this movement, Skunk Works projects. What drove those value chain of a decade or so ago has evolved further reinforcing the momentum we pioneers in rapid product development dramatically; from one involving vehicle have in the UK and realising the dividends was the desired outcome: they urgently technologies, hardware, and data platforms, from our collaborative culture. As a result, needed a new aircraft to win a war. to one which also needs to accommodate we truly have the potential to be a global If you look at the current levels of

18 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Transport authorities have a collective responsibility and need to be able to manage mobility for the wider community; managing congestion, safety, emissions, health, cost of travel and assets.

The notorious ‘Spaghetti Junction’ economic measures to help influence traffic and manage mobility for society. interchange at Gravelly Hill, traffic patterns and traveller behaviours. The good news is that this tension is Birmingham. Dr Daniel Ruiz says that But highway authorities are more likely to beginning to make key players sit up and transport infrastructure development spend millions on resurfacing and widening rethink their business models - where there must keep pace with new vehicle (with a return on investment of around is hiatus and higher levels of risk there is a technologies to achieve economic and 2.5:1) than implementation of technology- need for leadership and shared investment. societal benefits. ALAMY. based solutions to congestion management So, in summary, society is going to (with a return on investment of more transform whatever happens. We can autonomy, we are well on our way from than 10:1). I have been told by executives influence the rate and direction in which Level 0 where the driver controls all aspects at a major highway authority that this is it moves and there are enormous social of a vehicle. Many cars will now assist drivers because the low tech projects have a more and economic benefits to be achieved if in some way. But we are still a long way from dramatic impact on GDP and enable VIPs we influence with adequate commitment. achieving the levels of safety that a widely to do some vote-earning ‘ribbon cutting’! Therefore, my priority list for accelerating this connected, judiciously automated system There are members of the vehicle crowd social revolution (driven by transport) is: can deliver. The transition to wide scale that won’t wait for infrastructure to catch First, to develop intelligent infrastructure deployment of SAE Levels 3, 4 and 5 up, so they are trying to take it out of their in tandem with vehicles and service models can only be optimised by evolution complex equation. Reassuringly, the fast to ensure rapid transition to the future state. and integration of the whole transport movers in the mobility movement are not Second, to collaborate: nationally to system: a so-called ’system of systems’ unanimous in their antipathy towards ensure the sum of the parts is greater approach. The vehicle, infrastructure and infrastructure. Google AI evangelist Andrew than any other country’s ‘whole’, but also commercial model are inseparable. The Ng wrote in 2016: “Safe autonomous cars globally on critical topics (especially those first of these elements is maturing rapidly, will require modest infrastructure changes, linked to safety) to ensure we can exploit the second is behind the curve, and the designs that make them easily recognised the potential to save lives through safer third is dependent on the first two. and predictable, and that pedestrians roads and reduced environmental impact. Transport authorities have a collective and human drivers understand how And finally, we should use the UK’s responsibility and need to be able to computer driven cars behave.” Others diverse, accessible and integrated manage mobility for the wider community; in the same space have acknowledged development environment to carry managing congestion, safety, emissions, the insights that can be provided by out experiments which explore the health, cost of travel and assets. The latest intelligent infrastructure and which can, potential of emerging technologies versions of adaptive traffic control systems on one hand, accelerate the maturation of rapidly and courageously. A few fast (e.g. SCOOT, SCATS), video-analytics and connected and autonomous vehicles and, (safe) failures from which we learn will other technologies can already be called on the other, provide means for transport be to the credit of the leaders that inspire upon along with pricing models and other authorities and operators to influence us to remain at the vanguard.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 19 20 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Smart technology: the UK in a global context Business and technology journalist David Fowler looks at where Britain stands in the development and application of smart transport technology

edge of technology, or are there areas where the advantage of the Open Data Institute, About other countries are further advanced or about set up by World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim the author to overtake? Berners-Lee and artificial intelligence expert Of the three technologies mentioned Sir Nigel Shadbolt in 2012, to work with David Fowler is a by the TSC research, it saw connected and companies and governments to build an open freelance business autonomous transport as the largest global and trustworthy data ecosystem. It helped and technology opportunity; new mobility services as to develop the open banking arrangements journalist. In addition providing potential for the fastest growth; and which allowed the creation of smartphone- to being editor of Maintenance and Engineering magazine, he is the use of open data as the area where the UK based bank Monzo. a former editor of Transport Times. is currently strongest. Citymapper, developed and headquartered Transport Systems Catapult’s Principal in the UK, is a prime example of the UK’s Strategy Analyst Ron Oren says there were strength not only in sharing data but also opportunities for autonomous mobility in developing interfaces and software to he introduction in London not just in roads but in air, rail and marine exploit it. The open data platforms Transport of Oyster and then contactless transport as well. The market for roads, API and Zipabout are other good examples ticketing is widely considered a however, is expected to be by far the biggest, of harvesting open-source data, cleaning Tworld first. The Government has at £800bn to the others’ combined £80bn by it up and providing a single service. “The explicitly set out its ambition to make the 2030, because the other modes have more trick lies in how to monetise the data,” says UK a leader in autonomous and connected onerous resilience and safety requirements. Oren. “Most of the value lies with the data vehicles, and has established the Centre for Regarding smart ticketing, Oren says there aggregators.” Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) are significant other dimensions to smart Algorithms are now being developed to to invest £150m in the development of ticketing beyond contactless: for example, search through social media data and detect, autonomous vehicles (AVs) over five years. ticketless ticketing in which the system for example, people tweeting about a delayed Recent research undertaken by technology detects a passenger and takes payment train, and then working out where it is and and innovation centre Transport Systems automatically, for example via a mobile phone what is going on and sharing the information. Catapult and Deloitte found that the app - along the lines of the Amazon store. In connected and autonomous vehicles, intelligent mobility industry could be worth “The idea is that you as a passenger don’t the US has led, but Germany and Japan are £1.4 trillion globally by 2030. It identified have to do anything,” he says. also expected to be strong contenders because several areas where the UK had a strong The next phase of evolution is likely to be they are home to many of the big car makers. opportunity to make an impact: in connected dynamic charging, in which pricing can be None of the large car makers is UK-owned, and autonomous vehicles, ‘new mobility’ varied to provide an incentive to people to but the country has other skills. “The UK’s services such as ride hailing and smart travel off-peak. Artificial intelligence could strength lies not in building the car, but in ticketing, and in the use of open data. work out that your normal pattern is to catch algorithms, artificial intelligence and to some However, the TSC also warned that a train at 0900, and to provide an offer of a free extent sensors,” says Oren. Organisations investment and R&D models needed to coffee, for example, if you travel later. such as the Alan Turing Institute have helped change if these opportunities were to be Oren points out that the Netherlands has put the UK in the top echelon worldwide in grasped. And other ideas, such as Mobility as an Oyster-like system which covers a large artificial intelligence. a Service, have been pioneered outside the proportion of the country, for travel between “Part of what the Government is trying UK. So, is the UK genuinely at the cutting cities as well as within them, and Sweden is to do by encouraging tests of AVs is to use heading the same way. these strengths to attract some of the more The Alan Turing Institute was In the exploitation of data, the UK has traditional engineering into the country founded in 2015 as the UK’s national institution for data science and artificial intelligence. Members include The UK’s strength lies not in building the car, the University of Manchester, where this building was competed in 2007 to but in algorithms, artificial intelligence house its schools of Mathematics and and to some extent sensors. Astrophysics. The institute is named after the famous mathematician and Ron Oren, Principal Strategy Analyst ,Transport Systems Catapult founder of computer science. ALAMY.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 21 on the basis of being able to access the but there’s a reason for this, because we junctions as well as changing signal phasing UK’s AI skills.” Similarly, the Government believe we can steal a march. The size of the in real time in response to traffic levels. In has sought to give the UK an advantage by UK is good as a trial market. Between the many parts of the UK, SCOOT isn’t working developing a consistent regulatory framework Government and the various catapults, we’re properly because many of the induction loops to facilitate testing of AVs. trying to mitigate the risk.” used to detect vehicles are faulty, and there is “A shift in mindset is needed concerning TSC’s Chief Executive has encouraged no money to mend them. It is estimated that R&D and investment. The UK R&D model people to think more about mission-led every defective loop costs £9,000 annually is focused on developing products rather innovation - for example how to commute in extra congestion, and adds 120 tonnes of than services. Developing a new product from A to B in 30 minutes - and allowing carbon dioxide emissions. such as a train requires an upfront one- innovation to take its course. “We’re aware In the US and Canada, where SCOOT has off cost, whereas developing a new way of the risk and we’re trying to mitigate it by also been used and in some cases recently of buying tickets is more likely to require lifting our gaze: put the goal out and see how introduced, authorities are amazed by the continuing costs to develop the service over we get there,” says Oren. 13% reduction in journey times that are time. The emerging market opportunities in Andy Graham is Managing Director of resulting. Yet in the UK, where SCOOT has smart transport - even the introduction of transport consultant White Willow and an been in use for 30 years, the benefits are being autonomous vehicles - will be mainly service- adviser to the Transport Technology Forum, lost. based. a group which exists to encourage the For the second point, Graham points to “We need to think about how we can adoption of innovative technical solutions for numerous uses of connected data to make a develop a model that works for services,” the improvement of traffic. He believes that series of small, incremental improvements. says Oren. “Where the Government and rather than focusing on high-profile but not In Croydon, where extensive redevelopment TSC can help is in supporting large-scale yet proven technology such as autonomous of the town centre is under way, construction demonstrations.” vehicles, the UK should “fix the basics”. First, vehicles are being fitted with cameras to Is the Government over-focusing on the it should make better use of the technology it detect automatically the incidence of mud on potential of AVs? Oren says: “There is a risk, already has installed. Second, it should focus the road, which poses a risk to cyclists. more on an area where it is strong - in using Pay-as-you-go insurance, in which the Having previously partnered connected data in simple but cost-effective car is fitted with a black box device which with TfL, Cubic Transportation will ways. transmits data to the insurance company now install an advanced transport As an example of the first he cites the recording how and when the car is driven, is management system in Sydney. traffic signal control system SCOOT, which reducing deaths and injuries among young CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. synchronises traffic lights at groups of people while making car insurance affordable,

22 Issue 1- Jan 2019 The Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory System (GLOSA) is one of several new and innovative technologies aimed at improving traffic to be pioneered in the UK. GLOSA. and accumulating data about where and when bad driving is occurring. In Harrogate, following trials, a smart parking scheme was set for official launch in January in which 1,600 on-street and surface level parking spaces have been fitted with Bluetooth sensors to detect when the space is occupied. Drivers using the AppyParking app no longer have to predict how long they will be staying and buy a ticket accordingly - instead, their vehicle is detected automatically and they are charged by the minute. In Birmingham, Transport for West Midlands led a small-scale trial of the Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory system Graham points out that even if AVs were create more confusion and congestion. The (GLOSA) on the A45 Coventry road, in which available tomorrow, it would take around approach TfL is looking at now, to bring in a smartphone app was used to advise drivers eight years before they formed half of the private transportation services to augment the of what speed to travel to pass through the UK car fleet, whereas even a Model T Ford is transportation network on the periphery and next green light. Vehicles in the trial there connected if it is carrying a smartphone. bring people to their network, is probably the experienced a 10% to 14% reduction in “We’re not as good as other countries at best approach to take.” stop-starts over the 6km route, and their telling people about successes in connecting Such private organisations could include, journey times were cut by up to 7%. TfWM is vehicles to help local policies which would be for example, ride sharing, bike sharing and now seeking to work with partners to scale considered great breakthroughs elsewhere in demand responsive transport services. GLOSA up and introduce it more widely. the world,” he says. Taylor cites how MaaS is being introduced Andy Taylor, Director of Strategy for in Birmingham as “a great test bed” to show Cubic Transportation Systems, Transport how public authorities and private companies for London’s partner in London’s ticketing can work together. system, believes TfL’s work on contactless Elsewhere in the world, valuable work has payment is a genuinely groundbreaking. It been done on demand responsive transport has reduced the cost of revenue collection in Australia, and in Sydney MaaS has sought and opened up the public transport system numerous providers to take part in a series of to many new customers, and is generating trials throughout 2019 under its Innovation enquiries from cities around the world. Challenge. The system is being adopted in New York Taylor adds that intra-urban connections City, initially on buses and the subway with in the UK are generally well managed, but options to extend to the Long Island Railroad a growing concern worldwide is congestion and commuter rail. New South Wales is the around urban centres, adversely affecting first state in Australia to adopt contactless public transport, private cars and freight. payments for transport, which are being Cubic Transportation has been awarded a introduced alongside the Opal card, its $35m, five-year contract by Transport for New equivalent to London’s Oyster. South Wales to provide Sydney with what TfL’s system has attracted some criticism for is expected to be one of the world’s most not being open to allow integration of cycle advanced transport management systems, hire, car clubs and taxi hailing, for example. the Intelligent Congestion Management Taylor says: “When you look at London Program. and many other cities, they have such an The new system will improve monitoring integrated transport system already that and management of the New South Wales to layer on other modes in the central area (NSW) road network, coordinate all modes could be counter productive - it could actually of public transport, improve planning

To bring in private transportation services to augment the transportation network on the periphery and bring people to their network, is probably the best approach to take.

Andy Taylor, Director of Strategy for Cubic Transportation Systems

Issue 1- Jan 2019 23 of major events and improve incident everything is completely mobile - all travel clearance times, as well as providing real-time planning and payment for all modes can be information and advice to the public about carried out completely by mobile phone. disruption. In Antwerp, where Whim was launched Many observers believe the most significant in autumn 2018 and is competing with three development in how transport is used and other MaaS providers, take-up has been paid for in the imminent future will be “really fast”, says Hietanen, with 10,000 Mobility as a Service. Following the UbiGo users by the end of November. “It’s ahead of trial in Gothenburg in the early 2010s, the the West Midlands because it’s completely running has been made by Finland’s MaaS mobile, allowing easy access to bike share Global, which successfully launched a full and taxis as well as public transport over the implementation in Helsinki. It has also whole of Flanders.” He admits there is still launched the service in Antwerp. The UK work to do to expand its offering of car clubs is not missing out, and MaaS Global has and car rental, important because Antwerp is launched its Whim package here, working a car-oriented city. with and encouraged by Transport for West In the West Midlands, Whim underwent Midlands. a limited scale launch in April. This revealed MaaS Global founder and Chief Executive some teething problems. For a [planned] Sampo Hietanen spoke to Smart Transport larger-scale launch in December, The Trainline during a recent visit to London on a capital- was to replace SilverRail as the partner for raising tour which would also take in the US rail booking. A drawback, Hietanen says, is and Asia, for what he sees as a bid to take on that some elements still require a smartcard

In the UK people hardly take the car outside the country. To compete with the car in Antwerp there are four or five countries you have to operate in.”

Sampo Hietanen, Chief Executive, MaaS Global

the dominance of car ownership. for payment, which goes against the aim of Finland remains in the lead in this area simplicity for the user. so far, Hietanen says. Whim is marketed as The philosophy behind UK legislation providing an alternative to car ownership, for reselling rail tickets is also not ideal: it is allowing people through a single mobile a requirement to offer all providers and all phone app to use public transport, bike share, the different ticket options, again working taxi and car hire on either a pay as you go or against the idea of simplicity. “Our view is monthly subscription basis. that if you buy a monthly subscription giving Out of a population of half a million in you unlimited travel, then you don’t need to Helsinki’s central metropolitan area, 70,000 be able to see and compare all the individual are using Whim. Following the full launch in tickets,” he says. November 2017, the milestone of a million Nonetheless the aim is to extend Whim rides using the app was reached within nine UK-wide in the first half of 2019. Hietanen months. The second million followed in less believes the UK is a good market for several than three months and by its first anniversary reasons: he sees the privatised rail market as the service was well on the way to the three a positive, providing a variety of ticket offers million mark. (“it’s close to being the best in the world,” he Hietanen says an advantage of launching in says); the Government is already quite well Finland was that it had a suitable regulatory informed on transport issues; and the size of framework. As a market, it is relatively small the market is neither too big nor too small. An - the population of Helsinki is similar to additional advantage from the point of view that of a Tokyo suburb. “But it’s a really good of “going up against the car” is the fact that testing lab to show how MaaS will evolve, Britain is an island. “In the UK people hardly with limited risk.” Another advantage is that take the car outside the country. To compete with the car in Antwerp there are four or five Developed in the UK, Citymapper countries you have to operate in,” Hietanen integrates data for all urban transport says. by using data that is either open- He has also been surprised by the number sourced, or user generated. Started in of enquiries from companies about Whim’s London, the free mobile app now covers top level subscription model as an alternative cities in every continent except Africa to a company car. At €499 monthly, for the and Antarctica. CITYMAPPER. price of owning a car this package provides

24 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Hietanen’s top picks MaaS Global founder Sampo Hietanen’s view of smart world leaders Ticketing: Switzerland offers various E.ON to launch one of the largest intelligent smartcards covering public transport and interoperable EV charging networks in Cities including New York and throughout the country – around 250 Europe. Sydney have followed London’s lead on operators. Autonomous vehicles: Hietanen argues contactless payment and are adopting Intelligent Transport Systems: Rotterdam that the way technology is used is key, and similar systems of their own. CUBIC has an ‘anti-toll’ system whereby transport points out that the Organisation for Economic TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. users can earn money, via various service Co-operation and Development (OECD) providers, by avoiding congestion. An example reported that if AVs are used in a door-to- unlimited access to public transport, taxi or is free gym membership worth 180 euros door model they could add considerably to a car according to the user’s requirements. A monthly if you bike to work. vehicle miles. If they are used mainly for travel barrier is that in the UK company cars attract Electric vehicles: Finnish electric vehicle to stations and other transport hubs they tax concessions, whereas Whim would be charging company Virta has developed will reduce congestion. He cites Hamburg’s fully taxed. technology to optimise energy flow through Switchh, in which car club cars, bicycles His message to politicians is that it’s charging stations, allowing for volatility in and e-scooters are integrated at selected important for MaaS to be at least at the same the supply, as well as managing billing. It has interchanges around the city, as the model to level as the car. “The minute that starts to formed a partnership with electricity company follow. happen, MaaS will take off,” says Hietanen. The concept of MaaS is that it forms an extra layer above existing planning and Another global non-profit organisation, rail can be provided, and this allows scope payment systems, aggregating or integrating. TravelSpirit, is also helping to drive the for innovation. The UK is good at fostering In any given market, it needs to be able whole industry forward. It is a network of an entrepreneurial culture. The fact that to tap into pre-existing travel information small and medium companies, academics, congestion is a problem “makes finding platforms. “Travel information usually exists,” city authorities and larger companies and solutions all the more important, for all says Hietanen. “What’s lacking normally is organisations, with the aim of creating an the modes”. And the UK, and London in payment and validation.” open infrastructure for MaaS - or, in Chief particular, is seen by businesses as a focus He admits: “You need a whole ecosystem Executive Giles Bailey’s preferred term, new for innovation and a good place to test and or you don’t have a product. mobility. develop new solutions. ” For this reason, he encouraged the He says: “In a sense transport is global. He cautions against seeing transport as a foundation (and was a director until Everybody’s in front and everybody’s behind competition, with a winner, and a ‘winner recently) of the MaaS Alliance, a non-profit in some way. Even though it’s a global takes all’ mentality. “You need to think very organisation designed to bring stakeholders industry there are very local issues.” carefully about the ecosystem and don’t get including technology providers together The UK has advantages as a market. into the position where the best funded or internationally “to look after the whole Diversity in the rail industry means there first to market dominates the delivery of ecosystem”. is a wide range of views about how heavy transport.”

Issue 1- Jan 2019 25 companies and public sector partners. For opportunity with Local Industrial Strategies Sam Li example, creating an open ecosystem with and a number of sector deals to help answer Senior Innovation a low barrier of entry has enabled mobility part of these challenging questions. We now Officer, Transport innovations such as Citymapper to thrive. need to look at mobility beyond its own Increasingly, public sector organisations eco-system and explore how the innovation for Greater are exploring the value of improving impact on area such as health, clean growth Manchester mobility capacity via digital means rather and future of work. Could MaaS be the than traditional investment in physical fundamental mobility innovation that joins infrastructure - development of back-office all of these themes together? And how e are living in exciting times in control systems is working towards the should the UK support the education and the world of mobility innovation. future of smart cities. But while mobile development of the next generation of WDavid Fowler’s article highlights phones have changed the way in which mobility professionals? trials occurring all around the country, and mobility is provided, by switching to a more Exciting times, indeed. demonstrates UK desire to be a world leader personalised and customer centric offerings, in mobility innovation, both in the public and we need to rethink how people travel. the private sectors. But it also underlines the The UK has historically been leader potentially disruptive areas of the future of in intelligent transport systems (ITS) payments, on-demand mobility, and Mobility technology, yet innovations such as SCOOT as a Service (MaaS). and GLOSA showcase the next steps in The concern is that all this could lead the cooperative-ITS (C-ITS) journey. Many to increasingly fragmented systems developing countries are investing in this development, resulting in inconsistency area to accommodate the growth of their for customers and creating a challenging economies and populations. And with environment for regulation and China laying out plans to create an artificial management. There could, however, be intelligence (AI) industry worth $150 billion an opportunity for the UK to frame new in the next 15 years, how should the UK global standards on mobility, ensuring position itself for future foreign competition? interoperability between commercial The UK Government has created a unique

development or expansion of services such contribute towards this - would be helpful. Martin as car share or bike share, and physically Presumably, this will include enhancing safety, Higgitt improving interchange hubs - which are likely decarbonising transport, and, fundamentally, Independent to become far more important in a MaaS ensuring that these new technologies and world- are things we could be doing right now services are accessible to all - in terms of consultant which are of benefit in their own right. geographic coverage, affordability and But rather than fixating solely on future physical accessibility. It is imperative that we technologies, it is important to retain a focus avoid a situation where new services and on the here and now, and ensuring that we technologies are accessible only to a portion avid Fowler’s summary of how are exploiting existing technologies to their of the population and a new form of ‘mobility the world of new mobility is evolving optimum. As Andy Graham points out, inequality’ develops. DfT should be publishing Dand where the UK is positioned technologies such as SCOOT are widespread its Future of Urban Mobility Strategy soon. highlights the breadth of areas being touched and have the potential to improve traffic TravelSpirit’s response to the Future of on by innovation and the pace at which things flow and reduce congestion if properly Mobility consultation provided a good are changing. But with so much innovation maintained and deployed. Cubic’s work in articulation of what needs to happen happening in so many areas, where should our New South Wales shows how new approaches regarding open-source technologies. priorities be? to data management and communications Legislation and regulation to open data and to There is so much investment and interest in can be integrated into existing transport enable these new service models to operate on connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) management systems to provide better real a level playing field would be helpful, perhaps that this area cannot be ignored, though time management of the transport system, emulating some of the ideas from the Finnish tactically perhaps, the UK has a stronger as well as better real-time and disruption Transport Code (sometimes regulation is unique selling point in the algorithms and communications with users. frustrating innovation by providing hurdles artificial intelligence rather than the vehicles As is always the case with high-paced to new service models, and sometimes new themselves. innovation, the world of policy and regulation entrants can dodge regulatory requirements The concept and development of Mobility is playing catch-up. Last year, the Government that apply to existing transport modes). There as a Service (MaaS) has shown incredible launched its Future of Mobility Grand Challenge is likely to be a legislative and regulatory progress over a short time. The ultimate MaaS and invited consultation responses, as well as backlog, due to the Government’s current philosophy of seamless end-to-end journeys chairing a Parliamentary Sub-Committee on focus on other issues. and a mobility offer that is better than owning Mobility as a Service. So, in the meantime, continuing to pilot a car is compelling. Regardless of how or So that we don’t lose sight of the end new technologies and service models in a when a MaaS service comes to town, it would goal and become fixated on technology for “regulatory sandbox environment” (to use seem prudent to get ourselves MaaS-ready. technology’s sake, a restatement of national TravelSpirit’s phrase) would seem a priority Making existing information and ticketing transport policy objectives - and how in helping the UK to innovate in the world of systems more user-friendly, encouraging the these new technologies and services will new mobility.

26 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Ben have or are projected to have areas that for each of their mobility needs will help exceed legal nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits. The to optimise transport choices and use by Lawson UK Government has responded by pushing offering the best convenience and choice for Vice-President of forward with Clean Air Zones that are to be all journey types. From the commute to the implemented by local authorities. As our cities family day out, the school run to the shopping Strategy and Mobility search for answers to help meet new mobility trip, each journey may need a different mode for the UK and regulation we must also keep the individual of transport or combination of many modes Ireland, Enterprise Holdings consumer at the heart of what we do. The article points out many of the Increased taxation and costs for the innovations MaaS applications can bring private motorist have taken many forms if the environment is created for them to he role that technology will play over the years and few have proved to have succeed. They have the potential to add in the evolution of mobility is a any impact on private consumers’ thirst for visibility and convenience to an integrated Tfascinating topic. Given that systems vehicle ownership. So, can technology help transport solution together with access to car such as the Oyster card show the UK has been us change the model and influence consumer clubs or car rental for more bespoke travel ahead in mobility-related technology in the demand for mobility as well as make mobility requirements. past and questioning how the UK may take more efficient when it is essential? This is So, although the UK did not invent the lead on this dynamic global journey is an another aspect of technology that needs to MaaS, do we now have an opportunity important aspect of the future solution. be addressed and which is currently being to lead the way? There are still challenges The innovations this article highlights are at evolved through car clubs and initial Mobility to overcome with MaaS, as the article the heart of how we will address our biggest as a Service (MaaS) pilots. demonstrates. Showing thousands of challenges of a growing urban population, To truly influence consumer demand, we permutations on journey types on a congestion and air quality. All three challenges need to learn from what has worked well smartphone does not necessarily help the have an impact on mobility, so that should and what hasn’t and evaluate if technology consumer to evaluate price, speed, emissions engage each one of us to find solutions. can provide answers. Increasing the cost or other measures required to make the best So, is now the right time for the UK to take of motoring hasn’t worked. Even dynamic choice for a trip. the lead and can it be done? The short answer pricing, which already exists in many formats If the UK is to lead the way, then it requires is yes - the UK simply has far too much to gain across the market, hasn’t prevented the collaboration and a new way of thinking about not to take the lead. consumer from holding on to their private transport. The answer has to be multi-modal If improved air quality and reduced vehicle. In a world where convenience rules, (mass transit and shared mobility) and include congestion isn’t enough to grab attention, consumers need real choices that provide a new partnership between national and local then the estimated £800 billion value of the them with better options. They need to save government with private and public transport autonomous mobility industry by 2030 surely time and enjoy an improved experience. providers to ensure the consumer has the full does. David Fowler’s article highlights many The article cites the need to use private suite of mobility options. In the short term, the of these opportunities and those who are transportation services to give people access UK Government should make it clear this is shaping the new mobility landscape. to public transport. However, given people a country to test, innovate, pilot and For the first time, it is widely acknowledged within the public transport network still own pioneer new mobility that the cost of doing nothing now exceeds a car, this can only be a partial solution. A truly solutions. the cost of change. This is because the EU integrated multi-modal transport network has ruled that the majority of UK cities either that provides the right choices for consumers

ALAMY.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 27 Cars: uninstall, re-install, reboot CoMoUK executive director Alistair Kirkbride invites you take a few minutes to redesign the motor car and rethink its role in society

o some, cars are either the bane we like, but if the car was invented today, of society or the embodiment About would we choose to behave like this? of freedom. But for many, they the author I’d therefore wager that in the rebooted are just a tool - used to varying mobility system, we wouldn’t own cars. T Alistair Kirkbride degrees of enthusiasm or reluctance. We’d use them when they were the right Overlay on this the allure or horror (cast is Executive Director choice (a utility) or when we wanted to do at CoMoUK, the your vote) of the shift to autonomy, and the so for leisure reasons (eg ‘Sunday driving’). research consultancy threads of the arguments of ‘goodness’ of Michael Glotz-Richter’s oft-used analogy playing a leading role cars in modern mobility are tightly woven with a shopping trolley makes a lot of in the UK’s transition to integrated mobility and seemingly impossible to untangle. sense; shopping trolleys are (like cars) really solutions. This is a bit of a problem for various useful demand-responsive mobility tools, reasons, no matter where you stand. Is but we don’t think about owning them. it even possible to have a fairly objective cars; I am more interested in the In the rebooted system, let’s consider how assessment on whether and how cars pragmatics of most peoples’ everyday cars might slot in to three contexts: urban best fit into modern mobility? lives for the foreseeable future using family life, tourism areas and rural living. We are travelling less and using cars less; services and technology that exist. Take a typical family (whatever this younger people are using them a lot less. This Stripping back the politics and agendas - means). They would be living located plays out in the bumpy decline in car sales; the car is a pretty good invention. They allow relative to being able to access the places January new car registrations have reduced by people to move themselves and a certain they need to go - mainly work and about 25% over the last 20 years, for example. amount of other people and/or luggage pretty school. The main breadwinner would The list of explanations used by the motor much from wherever to wherever, whenever. be able to commute, probably using industry for the dips in sales is wearing a They are the ultimate demand-responsive scheduled urban transit - train, metro or bit thin, and the investment in the global transport. In the new world of personal bus. This might involve a bit of cycling or giants in cars-as-service in various guises trainers, shoppers, just-in-time/next-day/ bikeshare to access the transit. Journeys is testament to an acknowledgment on-demand living, the car slots in pretty well. for work would be by public transport, that we are moving towards a post But if the car was invented today - as a or by car that is available out of a pool. (privately-owned) car mobility world. disruptor like Uber or urban bikeshare - how The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing So for the next ten minutes, let’s uninvent would we slot it in to our lives? For a start, it Association’s 2016 research on Grey Fleet the car, re-invent it, consider its benefits and would be difficult to own one and expensive. drawbacks, and work out whether and how Let’s assume that most of the 609km2 it best fits in to modern mobility. It’s like that has been estimated is dedicated updating your operating system and doing to car parking in the UK (9,104km2 in a re-boot for the changes to take effect. the USA) would not be available. This If we did this, I’d suggest that the would partly be because we just wouldn’t system would look a bit different to want to dedicate such valuable space to that of today. I accept that uninventing parking metal boxes that stay still - and something is like making yourself ‘unsee’ therefore have no functional value - for or forget something, but let’s just play 94% of the time. Moovel’s “What the the game and see where we get to. Street?!” creates some pretty compelling What we aren’t going to do is wallow interactive data-driven visualisations of in the promised worlds of self-driving what could be done with the urban space that is currently dedicated to cars. And would we be prepared to dedicate There may be a role such a significant chunk of our household income to car use? Transport costs represent for private cars in the largest single item of household places where geography expenditure in the UK (14.3%), and the majority of this for most households is does not lend itself to on private car use. Over 40 years ago, efficient public transport; amid the oil crisis in the USA, Ivan Illich worked out that if we took into account it is likely that these all the time dedicated to car ownership would be in shared (use of the car plus time worked to afford to buy, fuel, tax, insure park etc), then the ownership. average speed is about 3.7mph. We can take the detail of this apart as much as

28 Issue 1- Jan 2019 outlines neatly the roles of different types of shared car use in the workplace, all framed I’d wager that in the rebooted mobility system, by the imperative and shift away from private car use. The car pool would probably we wouldn’t own cars. We’d use them when be available to a range of local businesses they were the right choice (a utility) or when we plus residents at evenings and weekends, and would probably be used for about 30% wanted to do so for leisure reasons. of the time (compared with about 6% for most private cars). The second adult might work part time and their mobility lifestyle responsive services. Cars would exist as - as locally-rooted taxi services, car-based would be more mixed – some similar locally based taxi services and pay-as-you-go volunteer driver services and settlement commuting and more local travel by bike. car club vehicles, allowing for independent based car clubs. These would serve journeys They’d probably also use taxis (shared or exploration. Mobility would be part of the of complex routings beyond the reach of on their own) or neighbourhood car clubs quality of the visitor experience;’mobility public transport and specific needs, such for tricky journeys. If anyone did shiftwork freedom’ would mean being able to access as access for vulnerable people in more or worked unsociable hours, they might places easily and at reasonable cost. Some isolated areas. There may be a role for use a rideshare scheme or dedicated works services would be more novel, including private cars in places where geography does shuttle. The children would walk or cycle to boats, ebike fleets and pedicabs. In the Lake not lend itself to efficient public transport; their local schools or colleges. Trips away at District, Brecon Beacons & elsewhere, ‘flocks’ it is likely that these would be in shared weekends would be multi-modal, probably of Twizy EVs have been available for rental ownership - among neighbours - and often based around first-mile to scheduled for a few years, blurring the boundaries used communally or for ride sharing. transport, and more flexible last mile, between transport and visitor experience. In the rebooted mobility system, cars possibly including car club cars to explore AV pilots serving visitor areas would expose would still exist, but the idea of a private or access the destination. Luggage may be the general public to new technologies. car just wouldn’t figure like it does today. forwarded to the destination by courier. Visit England’s recent research into the Most of the mechanisms through which So cars would have a role, but only as part changing demands of visitors points to cars would be accessed already exist - car of a more balanced, pragmatic mobility a car-irrelevant visitor economy. Visitors clubs, rental, pools etc. Regulation would package. are increasingly demanding genuine need a serious rethink - so that a car could And what about when we are visitors? experiences that are discoverable, being flip between being a car club vehicle, taxi, The standard offer of rural tourism areas connected and customisable among other rental or micro-bus. We’d need to dust off, such as national parks would be integrated things. Being tied to a private car just update and implement the Commission travel cards akin to ski passes. These would doesn’t figure in such projections, but cars for Integrated Transport’s 2008 work on provide access to scheduled transport would slot in – again for tricky journeys. ‘taxi-plus’ services too. It would be great to networks which are overlain by demand- Rebooted rural mobility gets interesting. think that the global car industry’s focus on There would be an effective framework marketing ownership would be replaced by A club car utilises a priority parking of scheduled and demand responsive bus mobility ‘service envy’ within which cars (via space in London. ALAMY. services. Cars would figure in three ways shared access models) would be a component alongside other modes. This is starting to happen, and it is good that new agendas such as the Shared Use Principles for Liveable Cities are emerging to ensure that public benefit and better places are prioritised. Terms such as ‘Smarter Travel’ and ‘Intelligent Transport’ usually refer to the role of technology in transport. Rebooting the mobility system following an uninstall and reinstall of the car allows us to use these terms differently; it’s about making intelligent decisions about modes for journeys - and cars play different roles in different contexts - but it is just a role alongside and equal to other modes. We can already deliver what is needed using existing technology and tried-and-tested services. The shift from mode-focussed ‘transport’ to ‘mobility’ means that we are re-thinking the role of the car. But are we going far enough fast enough? Extracting cars and re-inserting them into today’s mobility may be a way of thinking about how to be a bit smarter now rather than being blinded by the promises of the future. Modern mobility could be fantastic based on what we already have. We just need to be smarter and braver re-configuring how it all fits together.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 29 30 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Swift, smart solutions

By focusing on shaping tomorrow’s world, it is easy to lose sight of the more immediate challenges. Transport planner Martin Higgitt asks what three things you would do right now if you had the power

a rather simplistic dichotomy presented in the East of England, it is starting to About the between the private sector (entrepreneurs) realise the economic sense. It is generating author and the public sector (regulators). What its own renewable energy at its sites and was clear from our interviewees was that building its own charging infrastructure, Martin Higgitt is a navigating the route to better future mobility developing a circular economy. transport planner with requires a strong partnership between private Vehicle fleet managers and fleet 20 years’ consultancy and public sectors. The private sector wants providers also enthuse about the move to experience with and needs strong policy leadership and electric. “With 60% of new vehicles being SYSTRA, JMP craves certainty, consistency (across policy purchased by fleet, we have the spending Consultants and Steer Davies Gleave. He formed Martin Higgitt Associates in 2017 to areas), and, crucially, long-term commitment. power to alter the market, driving down provide independent consultancy advice to Another dichotomy often presented the production costs of electric and then clients wanting to promote sustainable travel. in public debate is the supposed tension creating a large second-hand market He is a member of the Transport Planning between the economy and the environment, for the public to tap into,” says Stewart Society and Act Travelwide and was previously with measures to protect the environment Lightbody, Anglian Water’s Head of Fleet. a board member for CoMo UK. often portrayed as adding extra cost. What this range of players wants most Again, there was great clarity from our from the Government is certainty and interviewees. All of them saw the critically commitment. While the policies say the important objective of decarbonising the right things, this needs to be supported n a period of rapid innovation, with transport sector, in terms of climate change by actions over the long-term to enable new players coming into the industry and also in terms of tackling air pollution industry to invest with confidence. The and promises of transformation, lots within towns and cities. “Climate change constant changes to EV grants and incentive Iof bold promises and enticing visions is no longer a long-term issue, it is an schemes make it more difficult for fleet are being made about the future of mobility. immediate one,” says Caroline Watson managers to plan ahead. “The benefits- And these utopian new worlds are just a few from climate leadership group C40 Cities. in-kind tax position on plug-ins and years away according to many advocates. But they also saw major economic electric vehicles needs to be clarified for But what could be done now to benefits and opportunity in moving the next five years,” says Matt Dale of ALD enable these new services to take off quickly and decisively towards electric and Automotive. “This will allow people to while delivering benefits in the interim? alternatively-powered vehicles. BP - which invest in electric with confidence, knowing Given all the uncertainty surrounding many might think of as being a bastion that it makes sound economic sense.” this period of disruption in the transport of conventional fuels - recognises and There was also unanimous agreement industry, not to mention broader political embraces this change. Its Advanced Mobility that electrification of the fleet is integral to uncertainty, just what policies and Unit is working across a range of areas to the development and roll-out of connected investments make sound sense? reposition itself for an all-electric world. autonomous vehicles or for service models Smart Transport asked five senior “We want to offer the most convenient such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS). So, professionals from the corporate sector network of charging at forecourts, electrification of the fleet, alongside the - and on the Editorial Board - the three destinations and at home,” says Jo Dally, BP’s development of charging infrastructure things they would do now. The question Global Cities Strategic Partnerships Manager, at the national and local level, would was left deliberately open-ended, so as not Advanced Mobility. The oil company’s seem to be a rock-solid investment, ‘lead the witnesses’! However, there was ambition is for ultra-fast charging at its beneficial in its own right, but opening a striking similarity in the views expressed network of forecourts - which it reckons up a whole range of opportunities. by the respondents, who were from a serves the vast majority of the UK population A further area that industry looks to the technology company, an energy business, within 20 minutes. Ultra-fast charging Government for support is in regulation a vehicle fleet manager, a lease operator will allow people to charge cars within ten of data, in relation to accessibility, legal and a core global cities representative. minutes, making the 50% of households protections and cybersecurity. “There is In broader public debate, there is often without off-street parking or the ability to currently a massive diversity in strategy charge at home able to contemplate electric and implementation across the UK, which Despite a perceived dichotomy vehicles, as well as enabling commercial is down to inconsistent leadership and in opinion between protecting the fleets and taxis to make the shift. understanding of the technology,” says economy or the environment, the need Anglian Water is embracing the electric Daniel Ruiz, Chief Executive of Meridian to decarbonise transport remains a world. While this aligns perfectly alongside Mobility UK. He adds that having a unanimous imperative for both the its corporate ambition to become carbon consistent approach towards data standards public and private sectors. ALAMY. neutral, as the biggest energy consumer and to intelligent transport systems

Issue 1- Jan 2019 31 infrastructures across the UK would They share a hope that a strong shared Dale wants to see stronger attempts to help industry to develop and scale up vision for future mobility can be developed encourage non-car-based mobility where solutions more quickly and efficiently. - perhaps the Department for Transport’s possible. Watson reminds us that technology Unifying many of these themes is the future of mobility strategy will go some is an enabler and, within cities, the focus need to move forward in partnership. Ruiz way to articulating this. But alongside should be first and foremost on making proposes a Mobility Council, similar to the this, they want pragmatic and shorter- cities liveable. While electrification of the Automotive Council, to set a common, term policies and action plans to enable fleet will make an important contribution co-ordinated agenda for the future of beneficial actions to be taken right now. to reducing emissions and improving air mobility. BP’s Dally is keen on a forum for Despite the majority of our panel having quality, this needs to be accompanied by bringing together the corporate and public some sort of stake in the car industry (as supporting appropriate mobility. Watson sectors to align industry development technical developers, fleet managers or points to Copenhagen’s investment in and investment with public policy. fuel providers), there was also a concern cycling and walking over the decades, such In a world of disruption and uncertainty, that government and society doesn’t lose that 62% of journeys to work and to school there is a striking level of agreement sight of broader policy objectives and are now undertaken by foot or by bike. between our interviewees, as well as outcomes. They all recognised the need for She concludes: “Our cities are showing a strong alignment between private transport to address and respond to broader us that change is possible. We just need sector interests and public sector policy policy objectives, such as around health the will and the leadership from business outcomes for decarbonising transport. and creating attractive, vibrant cities. and policymakers to make that change.”

The three things we’d do now Caroline Watson, C40 Cities of these declaration cities are already charging,” she says. It believes this will Caroline Watson is Programme Director exceeding the commitments. All new help remove the nervousness that the for Transport and Urban Planning at buses in Seattle will be zero emissions public currently has about taking up C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. from 2020 and run on renewable electricity, electric vehicles, including range anxiety, C40 is a network of the world’s mega and the City of London is introducing a the inconvenience of diverting a journey cities taking action on climate change. zero emissions zone in 2022. If every city and significant delays to recharge. She says: “The recent IPCC [UN made these commitments we would be The oil company has a network of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate well on our way to a sustainable future. forecourts within 20 minutes of the majority Change] report calls for urgent and radical n Prioritise people over vehicles (and of the UK population, so this is potentially a action on climate change to keep global provide city authorities with the necessary real asset in providing locally-available ultra- warming below 1.5 degrees [see graph, powers to do this). If the first consideration fast charging. This could benefit consumers as p33]. The world’s most renowned scientists is how to make our cities liveable and our well as taxi and fleet vehicle users that can’t are now saying that decisive action is citizens healthy, we’d recognise the need afford to have significant downtime, and the needed between now and 2030 if we to reduce emissions, increase physical 50% of households that do not have off-street are to avoid runaway climate change. activity and reduce time on long commutes parking to facilitate charging at home. BP has “Climate change is no longer a long-term in congested traffic. Prioritising road space recently acquired Chargemaster and invested issue, it is an immediate one. On top of this for walking and cycling makes roads safer in FreeWire, a manufacturer of mobile rapid we have a global air pollution crisis, with so people can feel confident and safe to charging systems for electric vehicles. many cities regularly exceeding air quality choose such modes. In Copenhagen, 62% To facilitate this vision, the three things standards on particulates and nitrous oxides. of people walk and cycle to work and study, BP would like to see happen are: Moving towards zero emissions as quickly showing that when investments are made n A forum to bring partners together: as possible will benefit both these agendas.” in infrastructure, and planning considers “There’s a need to bring together policy and To facilitate this move towards zero bicycles as equal to cars, major changes in the investment, and the public and private sector emissions, Watson says C40 Cities use of different modes can be achieved – at communities,” says Dally. “To deliver that would do the following three things: the same time as enhancing the quality of future ecosystem, there is a need to invest n Refocus every policymaker and business space and liveability of cities. “Our cities are ahead of the market in the infrastructure investor’s minds on the definition of showing us change is possible. We just need that would enable it. We need to understand smart: Smart transport must mean a the will and the leadership from business what that investment model is, what the transport network that is transitioning and policymakers to make the change.” roles of the public and private sectors are, to zero emission now, and is robust and what the challenges could be.” in the face of a changing climate. Jo Dally, BP n Researching and developing new business n Encourage every city to sign the Green Jo Dally is BP’s Global Cities Strategic opportunities: “When this ultra-fast charging and Healthy Streets (Fossil Fuel Free Streets) Partnerships Manager within BP’s network has been developed and all cars Declaration: in which cities commit to Advanced Mobility unit. Its work areas are connected, there will be a host of new procure only zero emissions buses from are electrification, mobility services and mobility services and business models 2025, and to ensure a major area of their city partnerships. Jo leads work with emerging. There is a need now for the city is zero emissions by 2030. Twenty-six cities and city networks on the latter. private sector, cities, government, investors global cities including London, Greater “BP’s vision is for ubiquitous ultra-fast and the start-up community to come Manchester, Birmingham and Oxford charging as part of a broader ecosystem, together to explore these opportunities. have already signed the declaration. Many including home and destination-based “How do we capitalise on this early

32 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Cumulative emissions of CO² and future npn-CO² radiative forcing determine the probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C

a) Observed global temperature change and modeled responses to stylized anthropogenic emission and forcing pathways

Global warming relative to 1850-1900 (0C)

b) Stylised net global CO2 emission c) Cumulative net CO2 emissions d) Non-CO2 radiative forcing

pathways Billion tonnes CO2 (GtCO2) pathways 2 Billion tonnes CO2 per year (GtCO2/yr) Watts per square metre (W/m )

Faster immediate CO2 emission Maximum temperature rise is determined by cumulative net CO2 emissions

reductions limit cumulative CO2 and net non-CO2 radiative forcing due to methane, nitrous oxide, aerosols emissions shown in panel (c). and other anthropogenic forcing agents.

Source: IPCC Special Report 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5c above pre-industrial levels.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 33 thinking to put the UK at the forefront of Stewart Lightbody, its growing number of electric vehicles. future mobility ecosystems?” asks Dally. “We Anglian Water What Anglian Water would like to see to need to reimagine the forecourt experience, Stewart Lightbody is Anglian Water’s Head strengthen the uptake of electric vehicles is: like being able to recharge vehicles in ten of Fleet Services. He has responsibility for n A clear commitment to a bold Clean minutes and asking what other roles the the fleet management of the company’s Air Strategy: showing strong support for forecourt of the future could play?” 1,800 light commercial vehicles, 750 cars and ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV’s) n A convenient and accessible charging 100 HGVs. Anglian Water’s organisational over the long-term, to enable appropriate network: “People still have lots of concerns strategy is seeking to become carbon neutral investments to be planned, delivered and about EVs, including range and queuing by 2050. The company is increasingly measured. While the strategy says many of anxiety and what the charging experience generating power on its estate - through the right things, there is room to strengthen will be like. Ensuring everyone can access the solar and through gas from sewerage implementation plans and provide long-term right charging solutions for them, in the right treatment. This energy is being used to commitment. “The constant changes in the place and at the right time will be important support the charging infrastructure it has level of subsidy and support for adopting to underpinning future EV adoption.” been developing on its sites to support ULEV’s and the lack of a long-term plan adds

34 Issue 1- Jan 2019 62% of journeys to school or work there’s evidence that travel habits from our are made by bike or foot in Denmark’s childhood are carried on into our adult lives. capital city Copenhagen. This is a prime example of what can be achieved Daniel Ruiz, Meridian Mobility UK globally through strong leadership, Daniel Ruiz is Chief Executive for Meridian says Caroline Watson of C40 Cities. Mobility UK, an organisation that brings ALAMY. together government, academia, innovators and developers of intelligent mobility a market of second-hand ex-company cars. solutions in collaborative partnerships. It n A clear line of sight on benefits-in-kind facilitates and supports the acceleration of the levels for a minimum of four years and UK’s emerging connected and autonomous preferably five years to enable drivers vehicle (CAV) sector within the global to have clarity on the costs associated transport ecosystem with resources to enable with the lifetime of that vehicle in profitable growth. Most tangibly, Meridian is order to make an informed choice. responsible for scoping the cluster of physical and virtual facilities and capabilities that Matt Dale, ALD Automotive form the UK’s world-class CAV testbed. Matt Dale is Head of Consultancy at ALD What Meridian would like to see to help Automotive, the largest leasing company in achieve its future mobility goals are: Europe with more than 1.5 milliion vehicles n Local and National Infrastructure: “Set up operating in 43 countries across the world. a national body to channel funds efficiently ALD Automotive would like to accelerate and consistently into the development of the uptake of battery and plug-in hybrid UK-wide connected intelligent transport electric vehicles within its lease fleets. systems (infrastructure) across all the UK’s For this to happen, the priority is to: local authorities. It has been shown that n Clarify the benefits-in-kind tax position the return on investment on intelligent on plug in vehicles for the next five years: infrastructure is at least five times that of “There is a massive opportunity to drive other solutions to traffic flow and congestion adoption of PHEV and BEV [plug-in issues such as road widening and other hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric ‘unintelligent infrastructure”, argues Ruiz. vehicles] through the fleet industry and “There is currently a massive diversity in this is also the quickest way to develop the strategy and implementation across the UK used vehicle market for these products. which is down to inconsistent leadership and The car is going to remain a primary mode understanding of the technology and the of transport for many years to come, but if possible business models”, he contends. A we want to encourage drivers into electric joined up, informed and decisive approach vehicles, we have to give them clarity on will accelerate the transformation of our what it’s going to cost them,” says Dale. road networks and unlock the collective In a personal capacity, he also enthuses potential from connected vehicles. about people being encouraged to travel n Developing trust through security, legal more sustainably in their day-to-day lives and protection and accessibility protocols: There has some suggestions on how to achieve this: is a need to embark on a wide-ranging n Reduce weekend train pricing: “Train multi-modal development programme to travel can be expensive. For example, a address the immense challenges facing super off-peak train return from Bristol to our increasingly connected transport London Paddington costs £59.50 per person systems in relation to cybersecurity. – £119 for a couple going to London for the The concept of trust - which includes legal weekend,” Dale says. “To take the car and issues and human factors (acceptability and park at the Paddington station car park would accessibility) as well as safety and security cost less than £50 including fuel. So how do - needs to be addressed for end-to-end you get somebody out of the car when it’s connected journeys. This should be done for uncertainty to the fleet manager’s role in cheaper and probably more convenient? road, rail, maritime and, if possible, aviation long-term planning of an appropriate fleet. Reducing weekend train pricing could help at the same time, using common principles The goalposts keep moving, or sometimes break the pattern of regular car users always and standards. disappear completely,” says Stewart. driving and may make them think a bit n Mobility Council: Ruiz wonders n Acknowledgement of the pivotal role of more about how they travel all the time.” whether there should be some sort of the fleet industry in accelerating the switch n Restrict parking and drop off around ‘Mobility Council’ on a par with the highly to low emission vehicles: The fleet industry schools. Like many, Dale observes the successful Auto Council to set a common, accounts for 60% of new vehicle sales, so significantly worse traffic conditions during coordinated agenda for the future of if it is incentivised to purchase ULEVs, this school term time compared with other times. mobility. “This can help align goals and will help achieve a critical mass in vehicle “As well as the traffic fumes and road danger strategic plans for government and industry, sales and drive down prices to achieve around the school gate caused by drop-offs, thereby reducing risk, increasing return parity with conventionally-fuelled vehicles. what sort of behaviours are we teaching on investments and ensuring that new At this point, these vehicles become more our children by always taking them by car infrastructure and service models address affordable to the public, as well as developing right to the door-step?” he asks, adding that public sector outcomes” he concludes.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 35 had to report on. Commuting - the single sustainable, equitable and shared? Ali largest generator of greenhouse gas (GHG) The rapid move into electric charging by Clabburn transport emissions -fell into the ‘optional BP is very welcome and gives confidence Chief Executive, scope 3’ bucket and overnight focus shifted to that charging will not be a problem for those the list of things that companies did have to lucky enough to be able to afford and get Liftshare.com report on. hold of an electric car. We ordered one nearly If it became mandatory for companies two years ago and are still waiting. Most to report on their employee commuting new electric cars already have a six-month emissions then we would see rapid waiting list. So, while there is clearly demand eadly toxic fumes shroud our adoption of solutions that achieved the for them, and now charging for them, it will cities. We can’t afford to wait biggest gains as quickly as possible. There is be many years, perhaps 15 to 20, before the Dfor tomorrow’s solutions to be already reporting guidance in place (https:// whole fleet could be EVs - and where will the developed. We need to embrace the quick- ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/standards_ electricity capacity come from? Will they be win, data-driven, sustainable transport supporting/Chapter7.pdf) - all it needs is affordable? solutions that are here, and act now. one small policy change and the largest Jo Dally’s suggestions would put some The transport sector is failing society on employers in cities across the UK would start great foundations in place to expediate the our watch. We are not acting fast enough to investing and emissions would fall fast. roll-out and take up of EVs but there are improve air quality and reduce greenhouse By pressing five senior professionals to simply not yet enough EVs available to make gas emissions. While other sectors have been say what three things they would do today a significant difference to the immediate doing their bit and cutting emissions by to make significant progress to transport’s crises we face. Caroline Watson makes a 16%-73% since 1990, transport has achieved greatest challenges, Martin Higgitt sought to strong case for focussing on moving to zero just a 3% reduction. Between 2013 and 2016 uncover some of the quickest wins in town. emissions and has three good suggestions for emissions from transport in the UK actually It’s a great approach and I enjoyed reading stepping stones to help us get there. went up 5% while the other sectors reduced the 15 solutions presented. One challenge However, getting commitments is one emissions by 15%. Transport (23%) is the I had was how many of the 15 would help thing, implementing solutions is another, second largest emitting sector after energy solve the crisis right now, tomorrow, next and there is a danger that by focussing solely (31%). week, the next 12 months or the next 10 on the ‘zero emission’ solutions such as EVs It makes sense to start by looking at years? I’d put most of them in the next 10 we may overlook some simple measures, the biggest source of emissions - 55% of years bucket. such as having more than one person in all transport emissions come from our The speed of adoption of new disruptive every car - that could cut emissions by 50% cars. Current policies are not working as solutions like Uber and Tesla shows that for a fraction of the cost and could be done emissions from cars are increasing. Sales of rapid change in transport is not only possible very quickly. electric cars are finally gaining momentum, but is achievable without significant public Stewart Lightbody shows how businesses but it will take decades for mass adoption sector investment. For many years, the gap/ like Anglian Water can mobilise quickly and time is not on our side. gulf between consumer demand for services to take the lead on pressing ahead with So why are emissions from cars and the transport sector’s ability to meet that introducing new solutions and makes some increasing? I believe there was one critical demand has been increasing. There remains good suggestions on policies that will help policy mistake made in June 2012 when the huge latent demand for personalised, encourage other employers to do the same. Government decided not to include transport convenient, and affordable services - the I feel that employers are the most emissions in the list of mandatory items that question is which entities will meet that important stakeholder in tackling this crisis all 1,100 of the UK’s largest listed companies consumer demand and will their solutions be quickly. If solutions make business sense then employers will adopt them. If they adopt them, then so will their teams. This takes me back to the key policy change that Energy Supply remains the Residential and would rapidly make all large employers sit up largest emitting sector of Energy Supply sectors and listen: I believe it should be compulsory experienced the largest for employers to report on all their transport UK 2014 Greenhouse gas emissions, not just their own fleet, but also emissions reductions in emissions the emissions from their staff commuting from 2013 to 2014 and their grey fleet business miles. For the last decade, the focus has been on how technology will reduce emissions. But this quote from the 2008 Term Report (https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_ report_2008_1/at_download/file) highlighted that: “To achieve emission reductions, measures and policy instruments must also address the demand for transport in a serious way. “Passenger transport continues to grow, particularly in aviation and cars. Increased car usage and a reduced number of passengers Other includes Public and Industrial Process sectors (the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry per car negate the improvements gained (LULUCF) sector is excluded from the sector statistics above as it acted as a net sink of emissions) from improvements in vehicle efficiency. Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change. “In addition to technological

36 Issue 1- Jan 2019 stride” schemes to encourage walking and key players, leaders and partners. However, Stephen cut pollution. Stewart Lightbody highlights there is a tension here, between national Joseph fleet managers as agents of change to consistency and local initiatives. Private electric vehicles. Caroline Watson looks at sector companies like Anglian Water and Transport Policy the high levels of bike commuting to work ALD want consistent standards across Advisor and and study in Copenhagen. There is good different cities in terms of air quality and former Chief evidence that work with travel generators, emissions. On the other hand, as Watson Executive, Campaign for especially employers and schools, can help says, there is a lot of innovation and cut single-occupancy car use - the previous initiative from cities, and it would be wrong Better Transport Local Sustainable Transport Fund and other to choke that off and stop cities becoming initiatives like Sustainable Travel Towns have leaders in low carbon and smart transport eading these contributions, shown this. by insisting on consistency. Maybe I was struck, as Martin Higgitt However, it seems to me that this requires protocols and declarations like the Fossil- Rwas, by the level of consensus a different and more flexible attitude Fuel-Free Streets Declaration mentioned and consistency between people from from the Government towards transport by Watson can bridge this gap, by giving very different backgrounds. They all want investment priorities. Daniel Ruiz points out a common set of aims and objectives for consistency, certainty and leadership from that the return on investment in intelligent cities to sign up to while letting them the Government in action on climate infrastructure is five times better than that retain freedom of action on the detailed change and air pollution. There is also from other solutions to dealing with traffic implementation. Forums and councils a desire for regulation and common and congestion, such as road widening, yet bringing different players together are standards, notably on data. Far from stifling politicians and mainstream commentators mentioned in many of these contributors’ innovation, Government involvement see road building as the main answer to lists of actions, and there is a lot to be said and leadership is essential to enable it, by traffic bottlenecks and the Government has for this approach, especially in making setting clear parameters. just committed £25 billion to investing in big progress on electric vehicles. In all these views, there is also an new strategic roads and is dedicating its new There will, however, be choices to be interesting undercurrent of dissent on the National Roads Fund to this and other major made, and local and national politicians future of cities from the very technology- road building. are best placed to make them. Roads and driven viewpoint we hear a lot. This This suggests that the consensus implied parking spaces are scarce resources and suggests that autonomous vehicles are in Higgitt’s piece has not yet persuaded need to be managed accordingly, even just around the corner and that the future politicians to look beyond old-fashioned though this won’t necessarily be popular. of urban mobility is about a lot of shared, approaches to traffic and congestion and Some cities have managed this successfully smart, electric, driverless vehicles taking to back their words on smart transport and - Nottingham has a levy on parking spaces people door to door. However, these the future of mobility with their investment at work and uses the revenue to fund professionals see things differently - a priorities. There isn’t, at present, the funding public transport investment. As a result, greater emphasis on walking and cycling stream that Ruiz calls for which would enable it has found it needs to take only limited for short journeys, as in Copenhagen, to local authorities to invest in connected and further action to meet air quality standards create liveable and attractive cities. About intelligent transport systems across the in the city. 60% of car trips are under five miles, UK. The Government has invested in the But underneath all of this is the need for so walking and cycling could be good Transforming Cities fund, which is starting to Government leadership. The tax system can alternatives for these. provide the investment in urban cycling and play a big role here - consistent messages This leads to another common point walking that Watson calls for - the Greater sent through vehicle and company car - focusing on those generating travel as Manchester Beeline network, for example - taxation can drive business decisions a means of changing travel behaviour. but this is limited in scope and funding. And and investment. Public investment and Matt Dale cites schools as places ripe as Dale points out, other policies add to car regulation of data matter too. Partnerships for travel change, and we are seeing use, such as the high price of even off-peak between the private and public sectors authorities creating car-free zones around walk-on rail fares. need this Government leadership if they schools with walking buses or “park and All the commentators see city authorities as are to be truly effective.

improvements, polices to ensure better from within their own company’s Liftshare journeys to work. Staff at Wolseley get capacity utilisation within each mode may scheme or from the free public site Liftshare. allocated parking if they use the Liftshare result in substantial additional reductions of com. Most importantly, we have learnt how app to authenticate when they share their emissions of CO2.” best to engage with individuals to encourage journey. More than one million journeys Every morning on the commute there are them to share their journeys to work. Our are shared each month across the Liftshare more than 30 million empty seats in cars. events teams have been on site at hundreds network. Just one in every 12 cars on the commute of companies to help ramp up the number of With rising populations and rising has a passenger. The good news is that there people sharing. consumption, we face exponential is growing public demand for sharing with Minster Law now has 37% of its 430 staff challenges. These need exponential 50% of commuters now saying they would sharing cars to work, saving one million car solutions. Making better use of what we consider sharing their journey to work. miles a year. Wolseley in Warwickshire only already have by sharing more gives us access There is the online technology needed to launched its Liftshare scheme in November to huge latent capacity and the potential to help people find their perfect match - either and already has 40% of its 360 staff sharing solve today’s challenges today.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 37 Opportunities for global investors in smart transport technologies have taken a sharp rise with analysts predicting that the autonomous vehicle (AV) market alone could be worth up to £28 billion by 2035. ALAMY.

38 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Investment opportunities and challenges Graeme Pickering looks at the doors being opened by innovative mobility solutions, from car and bike share to connected and autonomous vehicles

he mobility market is going Founded in 2000, it started out purely as through major changes. In contrast an investor, but has diversified into areas About to their niche beginnings, car such as creating and managing healthcare the author and bicycle sharing schemes are premises, owning and operating solar panels T Graeme Pickering becoming firmly mainstream. CoMoUK, and wind farms, and supplying energy. is a former BBC which works to support the development Investment Director Simon Pickett says journalist and News of integrated mobility solutions, says that that given the high carbon emissions from Editor for ITV Tyne nationally an average of over 52,000 trips transport, it seemed obvious as the group’s Tees. He has more a day are made using shared pushbikes. next major focus. “I think there are something than 20 years’ experience covering news stories Over the next seven years, analysts Frost in the order of 400,000 fully electric buses across the north of England and has a keen & Sullivan predict a more than three-fold running in China and we’ve got in the interest in transport issues, and railway history increase in car-sharing globally, rising from region of 100 in London and that doesn’t in particular. around ten million users to 36 million. feel good enough from a sustainability There has also been a dramatic rise in the and air quality perspective. It seems like a number of new electric cars (EVs) being really important opportunity for innovative in partnership with travel services registered in the UK. Figures from the business models and private sector capital company WeKnowGroup, funding a Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to come in and accelerate that transition. fleet of 200 electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles show an increase from an average of 500 As a group, we’re trying to help support which will operate chauffeur services a month in early 2014 to just under 5,000 this transition with multiple tentacles. from Heathrow Airport. The first 25 of a month for January to October 2018. “We set about talking to corporates, these have recently been delivered. And autonomous vehicles (AVs) look owners of fleets of vehicles, bus operators There is also significant interest in set to be a familiar sight on some city up and down the country and saying new mobility from many well-known big streets within the next five years. Plans ‘what problems are you facing?’ Pretty businesses. Charlie Simpson, Head of have already been announced to use them much unanimously they came up with Mobility at KPMG, points to BP’s agreement for ride sharing in London by 2021. two key things, capital and complexity, in June to purchase Chargemaster, the UK’s As EVs and AVs evolve, the opportunities replacing tens of thousands of vans or largest electric vehicle charging company; for investors range from putting money hundreds of buses within your operations. Shell’s interest in charge point operators, into fleet management and the technology “It’s not just a question of ordering a including its takeover of NewMotion; and inside the car to electric charging new vehicle, it’s also a question of charging the involvement of EDF, National Grid networks, development of new toll infrastructure, and asking what impact and Centrica as examples of how firms and traffic systems - even connectivity that has on the grid and how to go about it. with a background in traditional fuel and and data security, as it becomes more Octopus comes in and says to an operator energy supply are gaining a foothold. commonplace for vehicles to communicate ‘we’ll finance the vehicles, we’ll finance the At the other end of the scale, smaller with infrastructure and each other. charging infrastructure and we’ll finance companies established more recently with London-based Octopus Group saw any grid and network reinforcements’. We new mobility as their main focus have potential in offering a complete one-stop can deliver that back to you as the customer secured financial backing to push further solution for businesses faced with the as a pay-per-mile service offering.” into their markets. Capital from the banking challenge of replacing their existing fleets Octopus is in discussions with bus, taxi and asset management firm Investec has with cleaner and more efficient vehicles. and logistics firms. It’s already working allowed Engenie, which specialises in rapid charging infrastructure, to reach its network target of 1,500 charging points in the UK. There are about 400,000 fully electric Meanwhile, Paris-based peer-to-peer car share service Drivy, which launched in the buses running in China and we’ve got UK last year, raised £28m from venture capital in the region of 100 in London. That doesn’t funds including London’s Index Ventures. Adds Simpson: “The really interesting feel good enough from a sustainability play from our point of view is what the and air quality perspective. three big Chinese firms are doing, Geely [owner of Volvo Cars, the London Electric Simon Pickett, Investment Director, Octopus Group Vehicle Company and majority shareholder in Lotus], SAIC [MG owner] and BYD

Issue 1- Jan 2019 39 We are in the process of introducing 325 shared Volkswagen e-Golfs to London and they have gone down very well. Londoners are increasingly environmentally minded and concerned about the pollution levels in their city.

Jonathan Hampson, General Manager, Zipcar UK

[car, bus and van manufacturer]. We’ll acknowledges, “but our approach has see more coming in from those three. Then always been very much about collaborative we’ve got what you’d describe as the wider working, particularly with the public sector. transport bucket. That includes the big hire I think because we’re still a relatively car companies, Enterprise, Europcar and small organisation we have the ability to then also Uber, DiDi, ALD Automotive.” be a bit more reactive to what a particular Enterprise bought into UK car sharing circumstance or a particular opportunity is.” in 2015 with the acquisition of City Car Balmont agrees that there are certain Club, renaming it Enterprise Car Club. advantages for firms used to working on a Similarly, Europcar purchased Ubeeqo, bigger scale, who can use a model they’ve and Hertz established its own car sharing already developed elsewhere to tap into brand Hertz 24/7, while Avis Budget Group big city markets, but says Co-Wheels can bought Zipcar in 2013. Zipcar UK’s General instead offer something more tailored to Manager Jonathan Hampson says car sharing the individual needs of each particular has been the subject of growing attention area. In some locations, that’s been from organisations realising the size of the taken a step further, with local groups opportunity: “Interest in the sector has come operating as a Co-Wheels franchise. It particularly from car rental companies buying has also diversified to offer pool cars for into the sector and from car manufacturers business use, which as a spin-off can be investing in either partnerships with existing hired by the public outside office hours. providers or in setting up their own schemes.” City Councils in Salford and Aberdeen are Although Ford’s GoDrive and Daimler’s among those who have made the switch. car2go have come and gone from the London “We kind of pioneered that solution market, BMW’s DriveNow has expanded in the UK,” he adds. “It’s actually quite into nine of the capital’s boroughs, with important to us to offer both of those floating hire and pay per minute options. solutions now because where one can Hampson describes mobility as a “fast match up with the other it really speeds changing space” and cites the launch last up development of the car club solution in year of its floating rental service Zipcar that area. We’re looking at how we keep Flex, which also offers users pay per innovating in that and keep developing minute, as one of several ways in which his that model because it all comes down to the firm is responding to customer needs. core of why we set up which is about the “More recently we’ve challenged more efficient use of vehicles as assets.” ourselves on electric vehicles. We are in For big businesses who were previously China’s biggest internet firms, Tencent the process of introducing 325 shared unconnected with car hire and sharing, one investing in Mobike and Alibaba in Ofo. Volkswagen e-Golfs to London and they of the key motives for entering the market During September, Mobike announced have gone down very well. Londoners was to gain knowledge to shape future it was withdrawing from Manchester, just are increasingly environmentally minded investment decisions. On winding-up over a year after the city became its first and concerned about the pollution its GoDrive pilot in London, Ford said it European location. It put the decision down levels in their city,” says Hampson. had given it insights into the best ways to to an increase in theft and vandalism of its Although this demonstrates the address mobility and transport challenges. bikes, but still operates in London, Oxford, comparative ease with which global It’s now planning to launch its own Cambridge and Newcastle (where it doubled operations can adapt what they offer, Paul autonomous car-sharing scheme in 2021. the number of bikes available earlier this Balmont, Managing Director and co-founder In the last two years, the UK’s bicycle year). Ofo has pulled out of Sheffield and of Co-Wheels, doesn’t believe it’s a threat to sharing sector has seen rapid expansion, Norwich, also abandoning plans to set up social enterprises such as his. The seeds of followed by significant contraction from some in Leeds, although it continues to have a Co-Wheels were sewn 11 years ago with an of the biggest new commercial players. In presence in Oxford, Cambridge and London. operation utilising two secondhand cars in 2017, dockless bike providers Mobike and “Yes, they suffered lots of vandalism on Durham. It is now the biggest independent Ofo arrived in the UK. The rival Chinese the street and that then caused issues in car club in the UK, operating in 60 locations. firms are both vying for the biggest stake terms of the sustainability of the model, but “We do overlap, particularly with in the global market and have billions of actually it was also about the fact that they the ‘car rental’ car share solutions,” he dollars in financial backing from two of spread themselves too thin, too quickly,”

40 Issue 1- Jan 2019 says CoMoUK Director Antonia Roberts. Santander, which rely on a combination of An average of 52,000 trips a day are “It wasn’t sustainable to have that many public sector and commercial support. She being made using shared pushbikes, staff spread across the country without adds that a key attraction for backers such according to CoMoUK. The UK’s bicycle having spent a bit more time building up as Alibaba and Tencent, is the app-based sharing network has grown rapidly the business. The advice we’re giving to local hire system: “Having control of online in recent years following large scale authorities at the moment is to be very careful retail and the packages behind mobility commercial and public support. and ask lots of questions about what the are both huge sectors which will have a JACK BOSKETT/SMART TRANSPORT. business model is and what the plans are, but benefit in themselves. The likes of Uber is also make sure that they’re being realistic.” an obvious example of the fact they want “Decisions that affect what happens on Mobike said it learned a lot from operating to diversify but they see themselves as the ground in the UK are being made a in Manchester and intends to submit a hoovering-up lots of different aspects of long way away based on what the overall proposal for an alternative future model mobility to be that one-stop player and investment plans are and whether Europe for bike sharing that could be re-launched aggregator of all those different services.” is being seen as an important part of that in partnership with the local authorities. While there are clear positives to self- plan at the moment or less so. That leaves Roberts believes it’s important to realise financing private sector mobility solutions what’s happening here very fragile to the distinction between the commercial and working with companies eager to offer decisions being made a long way away.” business models of Mobike and Ofo and them, Roberts says this can pose a problem As the focus draws towards Mobility operations such as Nextbike and Transport if local needs can’t be accommodated as a Service (MaaS) and the use of online for London’s scheme, sponsored by within wider commercial interests: journey planners to establish the best

Issue 1- Jan 2019 41 way to make it, ride-sharing and shuttle stations and standards for compatibility with genuinely need to think more collaboratively services could also become a more common vehicles, payment and reliability. £90m has than competitively as a sector.” option. In October, Oxbotica, a UK-based been allocated to create ‘Future Mobility Society of Motor Manufacturers and developer of autonomous vehicle software, Zones’. The West Midlands is the first area Traders Chief Executive Mike Hawes is entered into partnership with London-based to receive the designation. The zones will also concerned that the right preparations transport firm Addison Lee with the aim of trial innovations in shared and on-demand are made for CAVs. “Full mobile coverage providing self-driving cars to its customers travel and autonomous shuttle services. across the country will also be vital to by 2021. They see the driverless vehicle as There is however a widespread feeling get fully connected vehicles rolled-out a way to offer more affordable services. that the Government needs to have greater across the UK,” he says. “Seventy-one “Urban transport will change beyond input. October 2018’s Powering Ahead per cent of British roads currently have recognition in the next five to ten years,” report, produced by PwC in association 3G coverage and this must be further predicts Graeme Smith, Oxbotica’s Chief with Energy UK says ministers should be improved if the UK is to be competitive.” Executive. He adds that developing more ambitious and bring forward the Charlie Simpson of KPMG says driverless cars in this country provides a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles competition and innovation need to be “huge strategic advantage” compared to US from 2040 to 2035. It says this “will enable encouraged, but it needs an agreed broad competitors: “Google and Uber are testing the UK to continue in its ambition to framework aligned between public and vehicles in Arizona, where they have hours be a leader in 21st century transport”. private sector around things like data and hours of sunlight and their roads are Among its other recommendations are standards, recharging standards. perfect. In contrast, the UK’s challenging the continuation of upfront subsidies for “Hot potatoes such as road pricing are climate and tougher road conditions electric vehicles and charge points until at going to come into the mix,” he says. “We mean our technology is more robust least 2020, as well as increasing funding know they’re already starting to think this and versatile, making it a more attractive for local ways of encouraging EV use and through but some of the political choices solution for other countries in Europe using public funding to install charging are going to be very tough, particularly as and around the world that are exploring the potential of autonomous vehicles.” The Market Forecast for Connected and “Our view is that we’ve probably got Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) published in July last year by the Transport Systems Catapult a 12-month window of opportunity predicted that the UK market for such technology could be worth £28bn by 2035. if the Government starts framing the However, the report itself acknowledges structures in a more joined-up way or we’ll that “an industry consensus around factors such as costs and consumer attitudes has end-up taking solutions developed yet to emerge, ” making it difficult to provide elsewhere.” an accurate forecast due to uncertainties about how quickly CAVs will be adopted by Charlie Simpson, Head of Mobility, KPMG businesses and consumers and the associated costs and labour intensities involved. But Smith argues that the potential of facilities in areas where there is no business it starts getting to variable road pricing CAVs to transform mobility is becoming case for private sector involvement. and then you’ve got the whole social progressively clearer. “The UK is one Also highlighted in the report is a need to inclusion agenda which I think can be of the most advanced countries in the ensure that electric car users can charge when looked at very differently, particularly world for recognising the possibilities of they want. Paul Balmont believes that’s just around the autonomous vehicle side. autonomous vehicles to transform the way one of the infrastructure hurdles and that “Our view is that we’ve probably got a we travel, as well as a range of practical there are others for car sharing in general. 12-month window of opportunity if the applications within industries such as “We now have ‘you must join each of Government starts framing the structures manufacturing and agriculture,” he says. our individual schemes, go through our in a more joined-up way or we’ll end-up “The Government’s Industrial Strategy application processes’. As a consumer, taking solutions developed elsewhere.” highlights this potential and we have you don’t want to have to keep doing Glenn Lyons, Mott MacDonald Professor already received backing from Innovate that. So we need to join things up,” he of Future Mobility at the University of UK to further the advancement of self- says. “That’s an added complication with the West of England, Bristol warns that driving technology in Britain. DRIVEN is a moving car share fleets towards electric the Government must consider carefully consortium of companies - led by Oxbotica vehicles as well. You’ve got multiple EV the role of the private sector: “If they are and funded with an £8 million grant from charging infrastructure companies. So again providing competition that stands to Innovate UK - that have come together depending on geographically where you are, bring about behaviour change in favour to deliver a ground-breaking project that are you registered with one scheme or are you of more sustainable transport, electrified will see a fleet of six fully autonomous registered with another? Can you use that public transport alongside walking, cycling driverless cars complete an end-to-end charge post or can you not? That’s another and other micro-mobilities, then this journey from London to Oxford in 2019.” unfortunate barrier we seem to have created. seems like a positive contribution,” he The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act, “We do have to be quite radical at some says. “If they are encouraging sustained which passed through Parliament in July, set point and I do think that comes down or deepened dependence upon the out new measures for insurance coverage to central government, but it would be private car then this looks set to be of automated vehicles, along with powers great to think that the service providers problematic. So we have two forms of to ensure the provision of electric vehicle have got their act together in terms of MaaS – Mobility aimed at Sustainability, charging at motorway and other large service simplifying and joining it all up. We and Mobility aimed at Shareholders.”

42 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Ben Lawson Vice President of Strategy and Mobility for the UK and Ireland, Enterprise Holdings

s innovation in the mobility sector continues to increase, the Aopportunities for investment are plentiful - along with the associated rewards and challenges. The technologies and business models that meet consumer needs will thrive while those that don’t will wither. Graeme Pickering’s article provides many good examples of the number and range of organisations looking to capitalise on the investment opportunities inherent in developing future mobility. It demonstrates some of the ups and downs of investing in new business models by examining the outcomes of some of the early entrants to the market. It’s clear that progress is neither a linear nor easy journey. There are lessons to be learned from the bike sharing sector. Although providing shared access to bikes will be an essential part of any integrated transport network, there appears to be evidence that this sector has had initial challenges in the UK marketplace. The electric vehicle market also provides lessons. There are some great EVs available, and despite residual consumer concerns around pricing and charging, interest in Investec’s investment in Engenie in April to build 1,500 EV rapid charging points them is growing. In the business world in the UK demonstrates the growing confidence of venture capitalists, specialist fleet managers are experimenting with banks and asset managers in new mobility technologies and business models. ALAMY. how best to use EVs as part of an employee mobility strategy. However, hybrids are now because mobility is a vital community service business that has invested 2.4 billion euros widespread and play a key role in helping and has an environmental impact. In this over the last 10 years in a range of technology organisations reduce emissions. Progress is context, there needs to be a close alignment and mobility companies we are aware of the often an evolution as opposed to a wholesale between government policy and mobility that complexities involved. Therefore, we put the revolution. provides the consumer with what they need, consumer at the heart of each investment At the same time, our cities are looking enables greater sustainability and provides decision we make. Are we investing in what to mobility providers and their investors opportunities for investors to benefit. people actually want? Will this new service to support the creation of healthier, more Parked in on-street bays or integrated to or innovation help to facilitate their access to sustainable communities. The introduction of existing travel hubs, such as train stations, mobility today? Will it improve the customer clean air and low emission zones is a first step car clubs are also part of the existing experience? Is it in line with local and central and creates a framework for future mobility civic transport infrastructure. By offering government priorities? models. automated rental, they are the next evolution It is important that the Government can In an uncertain or changing landscape, of the wider car rental market. From a single match the enthusiasm from within the flexibility can also be key to success. Any subscription, members can access vehicles private sector by investing significantly in business looking to operate trucks in anywhere across the country. However, each pilot projects and schemes that future proof London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone from this car club is bespoke to each community. The urban areas from many of the environmental April will have to make sure those vehicles number, type and location of each vehicle is and public health challenges that they now are Euro 6 compliant or face hefty charges. carefully planned and adapted based on real face. Solutions that have the consumer at Therefore, the ability to switch to a compliant usage data. their heart, that are consistent with the goals vehicle via a flexible contract may provide Adjustment is another point that is key and policies of the communities they serve some insulation against such changes. to successful investment. Not everything and that are closely integrated with existing Alignment with consumer preferences and works at the first attempt and it is important infrastructure and networks will have the government priorities is especially important to learn and fine tune along the way. As a greatest chance of succeeding.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 43 the need for rapid chargers for all. However, use and subscription models is set to increase Matt in this time of changing mobility, the way we over the coming years across all forms of Dale fuel our vehicles is also likely to change. The transport. But true MaaS has a long way to investment by fuel companies into the UK go in the UK and while we are starting to see Head of Mobility, charging providers is welcome, but I question MOD (Mobility on Demand) aggregators ALD Automotive whether we will need the forecourt refuel grow and develop, the transport behind them mentality in the future. Research has shown already exists today. that 87% of EV charging is done at home, The development and implementation with a further 12% being charged at work of a truly autonomous car is still a long way he investment landscape for or another destination, leaving just 1% of off, with automated cars being a likely first smart transport is so vast it is almost charging being carried out en-route. step. A fully autonomous car needs to be Timpossible to dissect the intricacies of Destination battery charging is more able to communicate at all levels and the the sector in a single paper. While investment convenient than having to make a scheduled world around it also needs to be able to adapt is vital, there is a risk that the money follows stop for fuel, because it can be carried and react accordingly. While autonomy is the wrong projects or arrives at the wrong out while the vehicle is not being used, bringing safety into all new vehicles, I am not time, stifling growth while vital support areas in the same way that most people charge convinced that society and technology are remain under-funded. their mobile phones overnight. Therefore, ready for the massive step into this new world The key to understanding the investment investment in home and destination charging of transport. needs and opportunities is to ask ‘is this what is perhaps more appropriate. The impact of bringing the petrol/diesel the customer really wants’? The development The development and growth in the car ban forward to 2035 is dependent on where of new forms of mobility will be a long process club sector is interesting, with most being vehicles are produced and who wants them. with the need for changes in society to either purchased or created by the daily rental UK-based vehicle manufacturers aren’t going encourage us to use new forms of transport. companies. Their investment proves that they to step up development and manufacturing to It is encouraging that sales of plug-in see a future in the car club model, especially meet this need. The move to Plug-In vehicles vehicles are growing, but they are dependent in major cities, but the introduction of EVs is global, not local. on the number of vehicles that manufacturers into this sector is proving problematic. With Finally, with so many unknowns, how brave produce. They have been slow to react to the the lack of a public charging network, and a are the private investors willing to be? With desire for cost-effective electric vehicles with a possible flaw in that model, operators are not the growth in our digital world accelerating, range in excess of 300 miles. as eager to invest in fitting charge points into transport could get left behind. And we still There has been much discussion around depots and rental locations. have to ask, what does the customer actually the role of the public charging network and There is no doubt that usership via pay-on- want? Al

Mobility as a Service is a corporate term A my Stewart used to describe a multitude of options, most Lightbody of which are centred around corporate hubs and within large conurbations largely based Head of Fleet around city life. Moving groups of people Services, Anglian locally seems more achievable than moving Water individuals geographically - and here lies the problem. To make mobility easy, it has to reflect not ike most things in life - well, only the masses, but every level down to the my life, anyway, the devil is in individual so that it feels fair, equitable and Lthe detail. While there is an relevant to all. Squeezing everyone into buses unprecedented interest in developing may well solve commuting in town but is be in cleaner air and arguably have cleaner the next big thing, and indeed some not going to get someone from home to the consciences, but is that enough? great examples have been identified and health centre when they need it most. Maybe we have to go back to the detail discussed here, there is still a fundamental The flexibility of the motor car has question - what actually are we trying to missing piece of the jigsaw. The much been the secret of its long success - to the resolve here? If we want to break the back loved human being. point of becoming a victim of that success. of the congestion issue, we need society to Most start-ups and creative Affordability has come through mass volume, change, at a time when lack of knowledge organisations set out to make the life of and with the ability to travel when and and awareness is probably the biggest the individual easier and more convenient where we want to, with our own music, at a barrier to change. If the issue is air quality, that it currently is. It is acknowledged that temperature we’re comfortable with is hard then EVs are a logical solution - just at the we all need to be doing more to lighten to replicate in public transport - we are, after time when there isn’t a solution for all, the load on the transport network, but few all, all different. whether that’s an affordability issue or a know how to, even if they wanted to, as We are in a hybrid stage of moving around. lifestyle or commercial carrying need. decisions being made are not necessarily Moving to EVs is one solution - it will have a Like most things in life, it’s down to around making it easier for the individual net effect on air quality, but failing to manage a timing issue when not everything can - and that’s a key element of the secret to the single occupancy issue will still see the be dealt with in isolation …well, my life, mobility itself. same number of cars in queues. At least we’ll anyway.

44 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Al A Lorna my McAteer Head of Supply & Internal Accounts, Royal Mail

t is time to think differently. We had an industrial revolution, and we are now Iliving in the digital age. Perhaps we should redefine it to reflect the need to focus and clean up the environment. We have the green agenda but should it not be seen as a revolution, something that is no longer to be discussed at a formal meeting but taken into our lives and acted upon instinctively and immediately? How will that then shape our attitude towards investment? It’s about doing what is right for our children snow, rain, wind and heat. services are often non-existent at night? rather than what makes money today. It is the practicalities of the day-to-day Where are the standards that allow me to take As Greta Thunberg, the 15-year-old and the how-to that can make or break up an electric vehicle - be it my own or a car Swede who refused to go to school until investment opportunities. E-Cargo bikes, share - and with confidence drive it up and her country’s Government committed to great, but will they get through the snow like down our motorway network knowing I can do something about climate change, said at a van or person can? Investment has to be plug it in at any universal charging point? We the recent Environment summit: “Everyone targeted - it is about the right solution for the can do it with other services, why not these? believes we can solve the crisis without task at hand. When was the last time you walked up to effort, without sacrifice. Our civilisation is There are some quick-win investment an ATM machine and had to ensure it was being sacrificed for the opportunity of a opportunities out there but there are also the right bank to match your card before you very small number of people to continue some woefully inadequate areas that still could take any money out? The investment making enormous amounts of money. It is need addressing. Most of the car share clubs needs to be national, including rural the sufferings of the many which pay for the are great for people living and working in communities and not just where it is cost luxuries of the few.” cities where the total cost of ownership stacks effective in the city. Is she right? Day in, day out, we rationalise up. Ofo pulling out of some cities highlights Taking that one stage further, connected cost - how much does it cost to get that this, but what is there nationally? autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and innovative delivered at home, and can I get it tomorrow? If you are moving around the country, how travel solutions using fantastic interactive How much is that train ticket for that easy is it to adopt each of those services on apps are great but as the Society of Motor meeting, do I still have to get a taxi and a bus offer and how do you pay for them? It’s a long Manufacturers and Traders points out, not all at the other end? What is my total cost of time since corporate credit cards were readily our road network has coverage. Likewise not ownership of that vehicle? Most of us live in available. When I informed a colleague of all of our 32.9 million driving licence holders the here and now and rarely look to the next my recent purchase of my first Oyster card, are willing to give up their convenience of five or 10 years, let alone the next 25 to 30. the response I got was: “Why are you buying travel to rely on apps and alternative modes The article here cites many great examples old-hat technology? Use your phone. ” The of transport. Many because they simply can’t. of companies acquiring or merging with Oyster card, archaic as some may believe, is They don’t live in an area where there is others and looking strategically at investment still a great example of joined- up mobility, so mobile network coverage, or they are of an opportunities. Some new products will help why can’t that be applied in other parts of the age where they don’t want and don’t use the answer some of those daily challenges, but country? internet. Some simply can’t see the screen on we need to remember that fundamentally Not only are travel schemes inherently a mobile phone to tap the right button on the we still have a desire for convenience and the different between the entrepreneurial app. Siri and Alexa may go some way to help basic need to move something from point A companies offering them but so are the levies with this and when we talk about investment to point B. Stewart Lightbody touches on it and penalties applied by cities and councils in AVs we should also look at much more in his comments - the much-loved human for ‘bad behaviour’ in not adopting cleaner inclusive and interactive ways for people to being and the devil in the detail. modes of transportation. Clean air zones use services. You cannot ignore the social Take established institutions like Royal absolutely have a place but devolving the inclusion to which Charlie Simpson refers. Mail. It may have the largest commercial responsibility has unintended consequences. Understandably investment has to have some vehicle fleet in the UK at 48,000 units but it While it creates local empowerment and payback but in order to effect greater change also has the largest feet-on-street delivery local investment opportunities it also raises on a much wider scale - the revolution - it network, delivering six days a week, to 30 barriers for people who don’t live in those needs to be as inclusive as possible. million business and home addresses. As an areas or provide national services. Ideally, we want to be like Greta and make organisation, it needs to consider not only So where is the investment in aggregating our planet a safer and cleaner place, but if how business is conducted but also how the those services so that as an individual I only we get the investment wrong and penalise employees get to and from work 24 hours a pay once and someone else can manage it all those willing but unable to pay we’ll end up day as well as their health and wellbeing. It for me? Where is the investment that includes with more situations like the recent ones in needs to consider the impact of the weather; night-time workers, as we know public France.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 45 About the What’s ‘smart’ - and author Darren Shirley joined Campaign for what’s definitely Better Transport on August 8 2018 having led the Which? not ‘smart’ campaign in regulated and retail markets. He came to CBT with more than a decade of Darren Shirley, Chief Executive, Campaign for experience in the environmental sector, having worked for WWF, Greenpeace UK and National Better Transport Energy Action.

mart transport; it’s a term vehicles should undoubtedly be accelerated. the most of the infrastructure we already that’s regularly bandied around But in isolation, this isn’t smart transport. If have, and ensure we use technology to the transport sector. It’s an we are to truly reduce the negative impacts improve it, rather than building a new Soverused one that is employed to of the way we travel, we will need to choose bypass, motorway, or expanding the roads. make virtually anything sound modern or the right mode for each journey. The default vaguely in touch with the technological of relying on the private car is not the Smartphone apps that revolution that has led to significant answer, regardless of how it is powered. find you free parking changes in our society in the last 20 years. Smart transport is supporting increased - two miles from But it is an overuse that has emptied use of public transport, introducing clean 3 where you need to be the term of any meaning, and given buses, accelerating electric vehicle uptake, reductive, counter-productive and short- cutting traffic and electrifying the railways. Smart transport is not about making the term decision-making a free ride. A concerted national effort would transform best of diminishing returns, or helping We all know that smart transport is not the UK’s transport system to meet the individuals get around broken systems. The a single thing. It’s a mass of overlapping challenge of preventing the looming climate first ‘solution’ that many reach for when technologies and approaches. It’s about crisis and encourage people to make a wanting to be part of ‘smart transport’ is an a system. As this is the first issue of Smart choice of a more appropriate and sustainable app. Who doesn’t want their own snazzy Transport, it seems appropriate to challenge form of transport for each journey. new app so they can demonstrate their some of the perceptions of what ‘smart Smart transport is about reducing organisation is a part of the technological transport’ is. So, here are some behaviours, the environmental impact of transport revolution, and so their customers use only technologies and policies which present and making how people move around their channels to engage with the service? themselves as smart transport, but and between our towns, cities and In reality some of these organisations which on their own are definitely not. villages more sustainable and less are breaking our transport system just a damaging to our natural environment. little more by succumbing to the urge to be Making all the journeys seen as ‘advanced’ with their own app and you currently do, just Building new keeping a close hold on their data. Smart in an electric car motorways which transport is people being able to plan their 1 journey across modes in real time. It is have excellent WiFi The stark warning from the 2 transport providers releasing data so that Intergovernmental Panel on Climate It sounds smart, right? Better connectivity this is possible across a range of channels, Change in October is that the challenge of while driving. We will of course need tools and apps. It is being transparent, limiting global warming to 1.5ºC requires excellent WiFi and 5G connections in open and free with information and data. “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented preparation for connected and autonomous changes in all aspects of society”. It vehicles. We will need connected roads. Smart public reinforces how carbon emissions are a But that needs to be decoupled from transport tickets major problem. With transport being the ‘predict and provide’ policies that lead to that only work on largest emitting sector of UK greenhouse significant sums of money being spent 4 one operator’s services gas emissions, and emissions still rising, on building new roads. Old-school it clearly is a priority for the UK to solve. thinking on road building from the ’70s, London’s Oyster card was introduced Air pollution is an equally concerning ’80s and ’90s is not smart. You can’t more than 15 years ago. Contactless problem. Road traffic, particularly through build your way out of congestion. payments were introduced four years ago diesel fumes, is the most significant cause of Instead, better planning of how transport and are now used for half of all London’s poor air quality. It is estimated that 29,000 networks are used through utilising big data, pay-as-you go Tube and rail journeys. premature deaths in the UK are caused every and improvements to the wider transport This is technology that has been sold to year by poor air quality. This is a public health system are smarter. By making public cities around the world. But as soon as crisis, disproportionately affecting those transport easier to use, more attractive, you’re outside the boundaries of London’s who are vulnerable or on low incomes. better value for money and more efficient network you enter something that frankly Switching from a car that runs on petrol or the arguments to build our way out of resembles the dark ages where this form diesel to an electric car will undoubtedly help congestion look more and more nonsensical. of integrated ticketing solution is lacking. solve some of the problems with air pollution Smart transport is about using the existing It is laughable that paper tickets, which can and carbon emissions. The uptake of electric capacity as efficiently as possible first. Make only be used on one operator’s service, still

46 Issue 1- Jan 2019 The shift from petrol or diesel to electric cars will go a long way to tackling carbon emissions but does not, in isolation, represent smart transport, says Darren Shirley. SHUTTERSTOCK.

make up the majority of ticket sales across cars is still some way in the future. They will spurious examples that are tagged as smart most of the country. And it’s a sorry state of come though. As the technology matures are called out for their limitations, and we affairs when attempts made to introduce and challenges are overcome they will be promote the solutions that are truly smart. ‘smart transport’ have resulted in commuters a part of our transport mix. However, a needing multiple smart cards and tickets to transport future made up of just driverless Smart transport is about: make their journey to work as each operator cars isn’t smart. Yet nor is a present in which n Limiting congestion, particularly uses their own proprietary system. This we ignore the opportunities or the role that during peak travel periods; leaves the passenger with an unwieldy range autonomous vehicles will play in the future. n Reducing car ownership, car usage of different cards to carry just to travel. In places such as our towns and cities and the number of vehicles on roads; Operators and transport authorities trying we will need high-capacity transport to n Using existing infrastructure more to reinvent the wheel by designing their own move people from where they live to work effectively and creating economies of scale; smart card or contactless payment system are and to leisure activities, and to access n Easing pressure on the transport network; missing a trick. These are rarely interoperable public services. High-capacity transport n Enabling better traffic and or beneficial to the user. Despite having a will be needed to solve the congestion capacity management; system that has been proven to work sitting problem and to keep people moving. n Improving customer access to an on the shelf - one we’re exporting to cities While there are challenges for integrated transport network; around the world - why is so much time, transport authorities and communities n Catering to all travellers, including all energy and public money expended in trying from the introduction of autonomous ages, all abilities and all income groups; to reinvent what already exists? It’s not smart. vehicles, the real challenge to overcome n Creating a model that supports Smart transport is a future ticketing system is how to use technology to make public the funding of infrastructure; you can use across both public and private transport better and more attractive. n Lessening transport’s overall transport, which works across networks and Smart transport is putting in place the environmental impact; and operators. A system that is designed with right framework to ensure we harness n Working in both driver-controlled how people use the transport system in mind. the benefits of new technology to and autonomous environments. improve the transport system available to Let’s reclaim smart transport for what it A world where communities. This, alongside ensuring it should be and challenge those schemes that driverless cars replace works within our transport system rather are called smart but are nothing of the sort. public transport than displaces it, and we make the best use For Campaign for Better Transport, smart 5 of new technology to solve problems. transport means a fundamental shift for Smart transport does not sound the death our transport system. We aim to be at the knell for public transport - quite the opposite. Truly smart solutions forefront of driving this evolution and There has been much speculation and doom- Smart transport is many things but it will revolution, and we want to work with all who mongering about autonomous vehicles. continue to be empty of meaning if we don’t wish to bring about a smart transport system The widespread application of driverless take hold of the agenda and ensure that to make this happen.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 47 Road congestion is estimated to cost the UK economy £35 billion a year. JACK BOSKETT/SMART TRANSPORT.

48 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Location, location, communication The fight against road congestion and rail under capacity goes way beyond transport, says Darryl Chamberlain. The smartest weapon is reducing the need to travel in the first place

he transport world is full of take into account public transport or indeed smooth-tongued salespeople About proximity to services and employment”. predicting a future of clean, the author “In essence, the targets are devised driverless vehicles, zipping around without geography,” it said, adding: “The T Darryl efficiently from place to place. No pollution, result is that a rural or semi-rural authority Chamberlain no getting lost, no congestion, no worries. may have to locate thousands of new homes, is an experienced But nothing’s ever that simple. Just year upon year, in relatively isolated locations freelance journalist recently an Australian economist predicted away from large urban centres, away from a and sub-editor congestion would get worse in the short term, network of good public transport, and away whose previous roles include working with a surge of automated vehicles jostling for innovation charity Nesta on its Civil from the places that people need to travel to.” for space with those still driven by humans. Exchange project, MoneySavingExpert.com James Harris at the Royal Town Planning “Roads will become real estate,” Brian and the BBC News website. Institute says it’s hard to point the finger at Haratsis, executive chairman of MacroPlan, any one piece of the process. “There’s a whole told the Australian Financial Review. complex cacophony of reasons why things In Britain, congestion already costs the hours less travelling than we did a decade turned out that way,” he adds. But he agrees economy more than £35 billion per year, with ago - although it says the trends predate that locating new developments in the right the National Infrastructure Commission recent technological advances that allow place is key - simply building on a vacant predicting “substantial pressures” to come as people to work and shop from home more. plot or green field and extending a road to both population and demand rises. Building Joseph sees evidence for this in changing meet it is asking for trouble in the long term. new infrastructure takes time - particularly in patterns of rail travel. “Sales of full-time “We bang on about this at the RTPI the UK - London won’t see its first Crossrail season tickets are falling, as people work because others don’t think about it so much trains until late 2019, some 45 years after a day a week at home and operate more - the choice of strategic location, where the the project was first mooted. So, what can flexibly, and so on,” he says. “That tells housing goes in the first place, comes first. be done to reduce demand - to help people you demand is already changing, and that Then the mixed-use development, urban travel less, and to keep vital traffic moving? is overwhelmingly down to technology. design, and quality of infrastructure flows For Stephen Joseph, the former chairman With shopping, white vans are replacing better once you’ve got your location right.” of the Campaign for Better Transport, shopping trips, accelerating the death Instead, Harris says there is “a whole the new world is already here, but many of the high street, so that takes you in bunch of slightly perverse incentives” in decision-makers have yet to catch up. the direction of there being changes the planning system which are leading “Technology’s already changing demand,” which are already reducing travel.” to car-dependent developments. “You’re he says, pointing to the recent report from But patterns of development haven’t quite penalised less as a local authority if you the Commission on Travel Demand, based caught up yet. Another recent report, from identify enough land to meet a five- at the University of Leeds. Its authors were the Transport for New Homes project, found year housing supply,” he explains. surprised to find that in the UK, we make that while “the Government was anxious “You might have a really great piece of land 16% fewer trips than 1996, travel 10% to get homes built, the targets given to local that you could put a whole ton of housing fewer miles than in 2002 and spend 22 authorities to build these homes do not on, but it might take ten or 15 years to do all the work - so you’d get blasted for not hitting your short-term targets, and that Sales of full-time season tickets are encourages quick and easy site selection.” Cuts to local authority planning falling, as people work one day a departments haven’t helped either, Harris week at home and operate more flexibly. adds. “If we want to do this properly, you’ve got to resource it properly and the Demand is already changing, and that is cuts make it really hard for the planning overwhelmingly down to technology. departments to do the really important bit, which is the early engagement between Stephen Joseph, former chairman of the Campaign for Better Transport the planners and transport providers like the bus companies, who also need

Issue 1- Jan 2019 49 resourcing help to do this as well. Developed by the Prince of Wales, “What you really need is the planners, the new settlement of Poundbury in landowners and transport people to sit Dorset has earned great praise among down at a really early stage, look at the town planners for its integrated housing demand, look at the available land community of shops, homes and and then draw up joint plans for where businesses, which has significantly the housing’s going to go and where the reduced residents’ need to travel great transport infrastructure’s going to go. It distances. ALAMY. needs to be done right at the beginning rather than the current approach where the in the Transport for New Homes report. local authority is handed a bunch of housing “You need housing to be close to an area numbers and the market suggests land - with sufficient mass to have a good range and transport is almost an afterthought.” of jobs and services - the first lesson is The issue goes beyond transport, Stephen to build your new housing in or around Joseph says. “What’s really noticeable - and your largest settlements first. You want to this generation of politicians hasn’t caught reduce the need for people to leave their up with it - is that ten or even five years settlements. Most people, when they ago, the demand from the average village or leave their settlements, do that by car. town was for a bypass. Now it’s for superfast “The interesting thing about Poundbury is broadband. It’s a really interesting change.” that within the redline of the development He suggests looking at the way the they went for a fairly mixed-use scheme. It rural lobby is going. More and more, the wasn’t just a housing estate - you can build demand is for superfast broadband, because one of those but people have to leave on that’s seen as the way business is done. a daily basis. So they put in a GP’s surgery “I was hearing the other day from and a school, and held back some space for Openreach that a lot of new houses still local employment and manufacturing.” don’t have fibre. They have gas and water, Then after you’ve thought about the size but they don’t have fibre, even though of the settlement, Harris says, you’ve got it’s a new utility,” says Joseph. “Demand to get your urban design right. “It’s got to will carry on changing as new forms of encourage walking and cycling, and it’s got communications become so much easier. I to be delivered at that point. Otherwise, appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire you finish the housing and then the bus show recently: I was in a studio while they network doesn’t get connected up for a They have some, but most of it would had three different people on via Skype month or two and by then people have simply be about the Government letting from different parts of the country. That was already formed their travel habits.” go and trusting them to do things. unimaginable even two or three years ago.” Keeping mixed uses in communities “Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has Even where people do need to travel, is vital, Harris believes, adding that the been very well known for being against letting one element of the driverless-car future is Government needs to look again on its policy Transport for London control Southeastern’s already here, he says. “There’s a vision of of allowing landowners to turn redundant metro trains, but more importantly he rejected autonomous vehicles where everybody will office space into residential accommodation. TfGM’s bid to manage railway stations. be able to get into a car and not worry about “It works well in some areas, not in others,” “This is about using stations as hubs for driving so they can work in the car. Well, he says. “The Government recently launched people to be able to work and meet at; the we’re a long way from that, but it’s something a consultation about turning redundant idea of stations being development hubs.” we can now do on public transport. retail space into residential - we’re not a fan Joseph says Transport Scotland was doing “Installing free wifi on public of having a blanket national policy on that. that, having redeveloped Dundee and transport - it’s not transport policy, “We’re fine with local areas having the Aberdeen stations to make them central to the it’s communications policy really.” power to do that if they wanted to but the town centre. “You can imagine how suburban Joseph also points to smart ticketing, Government wants the opposite approach railway stations in cities could be made into aggregating freight travel - and even coach - to allow it, and then task local authorities workspaces - even being able to cycle to travel though apps such as Snap, which to say they don’t want it in a certain area.” Maze Hill station [in southeast London] three links up passengers which spare space Harris warns that policies allowing days a week and then commute to London on intercity coaches - and being able to retail or office space to be converted to Bridge two days a week. The Dutch do a book car parking spaces in advance. residential could be open to abuse. “What is lot of that. That’s an example of the powers “Somebody found that between a quarter redundant office space or retail? You could they might expect to have. Being able to and a third of city and town centre travel is easily jack up the rent so tenants move manage and include the fares is part of that.” people looking for car parking spaces. So you out. Everyone kicked up a fuss about pubs, He praises Greater Manchester mayor can do things like booking parking spaces but you don’t want to only realise what Andy Burnham’s strategies for walking so people know there’s a space, and that’s you’ve got once you’ve started losing it.” and cycling as being “more ambitious than completely feasible,” he says. “It will affect It’s not just about giving planners London’s”, but says the metro mayor’s travel demand because people will notice more money and power, Stephen Joseph powers are still not as strong as their it when they travel into a particular area.” adds, pointing out that air pollution counterpart in the capital - hampering the For an example of how to approach worries have pushed city planners into development of policies to cut demand. development, James Harris points looking at strategies to cut demand. “The London mayor has his own to Poundbury, the Prince of Wales’s “Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) authority in TfL and sets three overlapping development in Dorset, which is praised and others could do with more power. and complementary strategies: transport,

50 Issue 1- Jan 2019 We’ve had some decent investment in public transport but it’s been balanced against nothing to make driving a less attractive option. The only things that make driving less attractive are the externalities like congestion.

James Harris, Policy and Networks Manager, Royal Town Planning Institute

London Plan, the environment - they all group of nurses and gave them a discount, least started to talk about it. There have got feed off each other,” says Joseph. “The other you’d make money. And you could use that to be incentives to move in that direction.” cities don’t have that; there’s a combined to manage demand. The use of data like Harris picks up the theme saying there authority of other council leaders, which that, all anonymised, and aggregated - this needs to be sensible costing of all the would be like the leader of Greenwich is where big data really means something.” different transport options. Road pricing being Sadiq Khan’s transport leader. They’re At the RTPI, James Harris feels that as high is “the old-fashioned way of talking more dependent on the local councillors streets suffer, big box retail may also suffer about it”, but advanced technology and don’t have the same revenue streams. - but provide a new opportunity. “We’re offers smart ways of internalising the “The more powers you have at city region stuck with the situation because we let it all cost of different types of transport. level, the more you will have decisions happen, but there’s an interesting discussion “The main things are actually making that will manage demand. For example, around how the owners of those retail spaces road transport account for the externalities London has the power to enforce yellow can work with the local council - could these such as pollution - not as a classic ‘war box junctions - those powers haven’t be areas for mixed-use communities? on the motorist’ tax but making sure been devolved outside London.” “Bring some housing into the mix, link the revenue goes into providing people Having the right data to back up those them up with public transport so you’re not with real alternatives,” he says. powers is essential – and the most important just providing big box retail space but other “That’s what we haven’t had a for a while - factor in being able to reduce demand for live/work space, and employment as well. we’ve had some decent investment in public travel, Joseph feels. “Aggregating data and I can see that being a useful use for retail transport but it’s been balanced against managing it gives you clear signs of actual space that may become redundant because nothing to make driving really a less attractive travel, and that’s a new thing. Most cities, of changing consumption patterns.” option. The only things that make driving less led by TfL, understand that better than the On road pricing, Joseph says: “We’re attractive are the externalities like congestion.” Department for Transport. You can find out going to move away from internal A future of stronger powers for planners, what travel is and manage it,” he explains. combustion engines by 2040. Either we’re local and city authorities coupled with “At the Campaign for Better Transport we going to have to tax electricity massively - better data and more technological did a small exercise with the University of which brings its own problems - or we’re innovation could be the key to reducing Northampton where we collected postcode going to have to bring in road pricing, demand. Is congestion a good thing in data on staff, students and clients at colleges, and that’s already a live debate.” reminding us that we need to change? the county council and hospitals - we Referring to the controversial Silvertown The RTPI’s James Harris says no. “Not at got data on 40% of trips in the county. Tunnel scheme, which is aimed at relieving the level that we already have,” he says. “I “We had 100,000 car trips, of which a Blackwall Tunnel congestion, Joseph adds: don’t think we need to let it get so far just to good number would be cycled or walked, “I think TfL recognises you can’t toll the show we’re having an impact; I’d rather see or switched for car-sharing or reworked Silvertown crossing and leave everything congested buses and tube carriages and cycle bus routes. If you provided a bus route for a else untolled. So, the [London] mayor has at lanes as evidence of economic progress.”

Issue 1- Jan 2019 51 to the allocation of sites for predominantly demographic. Car ownership and use is on Scott single land uses (eg housing) where the a downward trend. There could be many Witchalls overall accessibility picture has carried limited reasons, but two of the key influencing factors Director, Transport weight in site selection. This, in many cases, are cost of car ownership, and ability to travel is self-defeating in terms of any aspiration to as required without the need to own a car. and Infrastructure, reduce the need to travel, or to travel more There is clearly an opportunity to capitalise Peterbrett sustainably, since the jobs, goods and services on this trend in future development needed are in other locations, and the easiest planning which we must embrace now. and most convenient way to access these But we also have to be realistic about how he fundamental point about travel sites has been to connect to existing roads development is delivered in a competitive, is that it’s a direct reflection of lifestyle based on the predication that the majority mainly market led manner, coupled with the Tneed and choice, influenced by land of people will use cars. In turn, this leads to need to demonstrate viable and deliverable use planning, design, technology and cost, technical assessments that tell us we need development plans. In addition, we need to but also other social factors that are harder to to build more parking and road capacity to take account of the wide range of lifestyle model or predict. accommodate more car trips. Is it any surprise factors of all demographic groups. Economic and population growth are that the cumulative impact of this is more People tend to react negatively to being bound to bring a need for movement of traffic and more congestion? told to behave in a certain way, so we need people, goods and services. However, there However, some of the interesting emerging to ensure needs can be met locally and make are too many examples where the potential travel trend data suggests that overall travel walk, cycle and passenger transport travel volume and type of movement needed is reducing and, particularly for the younger options more convenient than cars and/or has been an afterthought that has hardly influenced location, land use mix or design. A Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train crosses the M5 at Badgeworth We have a plan-led system that requires (near Cheltenham) on January 10. Making public transport more convenient will planning authorities to meet economic and help to capitalise on falling levels of car ownership, argues Scott Witchalls. JACK housing need, but the process often leads BOSKETT.

52 Issue 1- Jan 2019 lower in terms of cost. However, new development planning in information technology has already had There has been some recent movement in isolation is only part of the solution. The key a significant impact on both the need and site allocation recommendations based on challenge is to tackle existing trips made as the way we travel and use our transport overall sustainability rather than a complete well. We need to take the opportunity for systems, all of which lead to more efficient block, for example, on Green Belt release, new developments to improve accessibility use of the available infrastructure capacity. on the basis of ‘exception tests’ being met, for existing communities by providing new This is positive but there is some way to go ie no suitable alternative sites. It has long schools, jobs, healthcare, retail and leisure to maximise the benefits of data integration, been argued by many practitioners that some as well as extending and improving walking more remote working, shopping etc. Green Belt sites immediately adjacent to and cycling networks and public transport The roll-out of more flexible working existing towns and cities could offer a more services to better integrate with existing areas. arrangements, enabled by improved sustainable solution for new homes than Similarly, anything passenger transport communications to homes or more remote building in remote, non-Green Belt areas, operators can do to improve the convenience communal working hubs, perhaps focused where the only practical means of access is of use and access to services is to be at stations, offers potential to gain more by car. welcomed and indeed is often invested in benefit from the infrastructure we already For example, the recent consultation draft unilaterally by operators aiming to increase have, but we mustn’t forget the need for social South Oxfordshire District Council Local Plan market share. This includes changing routes interaction and face-to-face communication. now includes sites in the Green Belt to help and services, ticketless payment systems, One thing is clear - we need to get better meet Oxford City’s need. This is partly a result real time information and WiFi on buses and at reducing the number of existing and new of recognition that a non-Green Belt airfield trains. But such initiatives shouldn’t happen car dependent developments by better land site could not deliver the housing numbers in isolation - there needs to be an ongoing use planning and maximising the use of needed in the plan period. The Green Belt dialogue with planning, transport authorities existing infrastructure by exploiting data and sites adjacent to Oxford City that are more and developers to work towards a combined technology solutions. sustainable in terms of access to existing jobs, overall level of service that reduces private car facilities and services could help deliver a trip reliance. better outcome in transport terms. The wider use of data and

Issue 1- Jan 2019 53 About the To collaborate or author Rachel Skinner is WSP’s Head of Development for its not to collaborate? UK Planning and Advisory business and It’s time to ask the smart questions, says Rachel is also an Institution Skinner, UK Head of Development at global of Civil Engineers vice-president. professional services consultant WSP

n just a handful of years, we’ve moved club. In parallel, the emergence of Uber and The previously discrete worlds of from discussions about whether we similar app-based private hire vehicles is now road transport planners and motor will ever see fundamental change, embedded as a part of daily life for many. manufacturers have moved much closer Ito a debate around when and how. One of the critical aspects of these shared together in today’s shifting mobility The questions we ask, and the choices we mobility options is that it helps us all to landscape, says Skinner. SHUTTERSTOCK. make about how to work together, will be get used to the idea that car ownership pivotal. Get it right and we can generate new can be decoupled from car use. Similarly, opportunity for a brand-new mobility revenues and solve many of today’s transport there is major change in the connected and business model - or to drive for positive challenges. Get it wrong and we will spend automated space. Each week brings news change from all points of view - since the first the next 100 years paying the price. about trials and vehicle launches, and nearly Ford Model Ts rolled off the production line Electric vehicles are increasingly in all new vehicles (light and freight) are now in 1913. Beyond the monetised opportunity demand. Governments around the world are connected. This is the tip of the iceberg; we itself, which will be large if we play our stating that by 2040 (and sometimes earlier) have not yet scratched the surface of the data- collective cards right, there are two other they will not permit the sales of new petrol or led intelligence gathered or the ways in which key differences for us a century later. First, diesel vehicles. Why? Because nearly all of the it can be applied. we have 100 years of road and place-making major motor manufacturers will have stopped A few weeks ago, I was at a motor industry history learning on our side and, second, we making them by then. event. Listening to a range of people speaking now have some very real challenges around Walking past the flagship salesroom of a about new developments in data analytics, air quality, congestion and road safety that are motor manufacturer on London’s Park Lane it became obvious that the worlds of road ripe for urgent resolution. In the UK alone, recently, I was struck by the fact it had chosen transport planning and motor manufacturers the total negative costs of these three are in to dedicate more than 50% of its valuable are beginning to collide. Never before have the order of £100 billion per year. This is a glass frontage to electric cars. The demand the motor manufacturers had quite such an serious and sobering figure. for these models is undeniable and, in the overt or acute interest in city-shaping, air Common sense, however, tells us that UK, the National Infrastructure Commission quality or congestion-busting. multiple competing interests tend not to be is encouraging the Government to bring Why? There is a growing recognition the best recipe for good long-run outcomes. forward the deadline for 100% electric car that with the multitude of mobility options This is where there is enormous potential for and van sales to 2032. This is less than the on offer and the relentless long-run march real collaboration which can serve all of our average lifespan of a modern car from new to towards an increasingly driverless future, interests. Unfortunately, we are edging into scrap, and around the time it takes for a child personal car ownership may become less that competing-interests territory right now. to reach secondary school. essential. This is not a sudden burst of civic- We have a host of technology providers From a shared mobility angle, the pace minded duty by vehicle manufacturers but a seeking places to bring solutions to market of change is staggering. Shared hire bikes very serious piece of the jigsaw for onward and test out new ideas on the ground. This no longer need docking stations, leading to survival and future growth. means new options and trials across towns a proliferation of them across many of our So where does collaboration come into all and cities around the country and beyond. towns and cities. Car share schemes also of this? The key challenge is how to embrace They’re finding a warm welcome in some continue to evolve and diversify. Two core all of this change in order to get a great set of places but they are often being met with mild business models form the majority: schemes solutions and outcomes. With so many axes confusion or a lack of interest elsewhere. It is where individual car owners opt to offer their of change in play, the mobility landscape is often the case that the solutions being tested own car for use by others in exchange for a seriously complicated and changing fast. And on the ground are often the ones thrust to the fee, and those where vehicle manufacturers with change comes serious opportunity: it’s a front of the market for individual commercial supply a fleet of vehicles for use within a cliché, but everyone should win. gain, rather than solutions that have been defined area by those who opt to join their In my view, there has not been a bigger specifically shaped to address real live issues on the ground. Better collaboration has the potential transform these outcomes - and We need to realise we will never have all the increase returns. Then we have local government. There is answers at our fingertips. What we can do is some very progressive thinking in a handful grasp the pieces of the future mobility puzzle that of places around the country. New roles focused on future mobility are bubbling are under our control and seek to make progress. through and long-range growth strategies that take account of the potential impacts of

54 Issue 1- Jan 2019 on the ground, we can see the potential The worlds of road transport planning and solutions and seek a good match to maximise benefits, and we can put some political and motor manufacturers are beginning to collide. strategic ‘oomph’ behind the emerging plans. Never before have the motor manufacturers had quite What if the technology providers turned their minds to providing a set of locally such an acute interest in city-shaping, air quality specific system solutions that between them or congestion-busting. attacked the real roads-related challenges of the day: air quality, congestion, safety, connectivity, adaptability and new revenues electric, shared, connected and automated that our existing and future physical transport for the provider and the road network futures are beginning to emerge. and urban infrastructure will need to flex to operator? What if we stopped worrying Some trials are being done with the cater for multiple iterations of digital systems about whether this solution would be the benefit of detailed thought about the most over the years to come, and that it will fall EveryTown or EveryRoute solution? What appropriate local solutions needed for the to national government to draw up these if we stopped to consider the fact that a long run. Unfortunately, these examples rules of engagement. There is a visible effort single, great solution for one type of place are few and far between. The majority of to engage and collaborate but there is much - one where the network operators, fleet local authorities are choosing (or having) more to be done. owners and technology providers all agreed to play a waiting game, pending a firm new So how do we best take this forward? First, that things were working - would naturally mobility mandate from above. Again, better we need to realise we will never have all the propagate? What if those same solutions were collaboration would help and, done well, answers at our fingertips. And waiting until crafted with wider social objectives in mind could allow local authorities to engage and we do is a fool’s game. What we can do is beyond the commercial: a fair, affordable, generate new revenue streams. grasp the pieces of the future mobility puzzle safe, accessible and equitable multi-modal At national level, there is a huge amount that are under our control and seek to make transport system that has the best chance of of effort and thought focused on the future of progress. being (and remaining) popular? What if this mobility. The Industrial Strategy’s recognition One immediate option is the potential for was done in an environment where public of mobility as one of the grand challenge some serious and meaningful collaboration and private sector recognised their differing areas has helped move the debate along, at a local level where the bundle of mobility challenges yet looked for a way for both to and encouraged the desire to unpick and solutions is tailored for a specific place benefit as needed? understand potential solutions and responses or small group of places. Between these What if we could? That sounds like smart across the technical, social, legal and political stakeholders, we have all the essential transport - through smart collaboration - to spectrum. It is also understood, increasingly, ingredients: we understand the real problems me.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 55 © Shutterstock

56 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Finding the technological tipping point A century from now all road transport will be electric and autonomous. But when the public will really start to buy into these technologies is still subject to great debate, says Jonathan Manning

ack at the turn of the millenium This political push towards electric the journalist and author Malcom About power is only one of the factors that will Gladwell wrote a book called the author drive electric vehicle sales, according The Tipping Point. The bestseller to Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC B Jonathan Manning is built on ideas from medicine, anthropology Foundation, who cites ‘the four Rs’ as a freelance writer and and business to analyse the processes the key criteria for mass uptake. editor. He is a former as society adjusts to and then adopts a “We have always said that there are editor of Fleet News, major change. Whether it’s the spread of four things that are necessary for this and is now responsible disease, the flight of communities from a electric revolution to happen; retail, range, for writing its Fleet Connected section which neighbourhood as its ethnic mix changes, focuses on mobility, connectivity, urban issues recharging and residual values,” he said. or the uptake of new technology, once and last mile solutions. Each of these criteria currently lags behind the tipping point is reached, “ideas and where it needs to be to persuade new car products and messages and behaviours buyers to change their driving and buying spread just like viruses do,” Gladwell wrote. both capable of at least a few zero emission habits from petrol and diesel. In terms of Across the boardrooms and factories miles, boosted this alternatively-fuelled retail, for instance, the glitz and excitement of vehicle manufacturers and technology vehicle market share to 5.9%, up 22% year- of motor show concept cars have yet to firms, executives are waiting for this on-year, but few commentators see the belt make their way to showrooms, where the type of contagious behaviour to take and braces approach of combining an electric selection of pure electric cars remains hold of customers in the adoption of motor with a petrol- or diesel-powered extremely limited – only 19 models are electric vehicles and the acceptance engine as an efficient, long-term solution. presently eligible for government grants. of autonomous driving systems. This is clear in the Government’s stated “If we are going to have an electric A glance at the current sales data would ambition to outlaw the sale of cars with revolution the number of cars available in indicate there’s still a long way for the scales internal combustion engines by 2040, and its showrooms would have to be significantly to shift before the electric vehicle tipping favour for a pure electric future is clear to see higher and the prices would have to come point is reached, while driverless technology in the changes made to environmental grants. down and be attractive enough to the mass has multiple consumer, infrastructure Since October, grants are only available to market, to people who earn an average and political barriers to surmount before vehicles capable of a range of at least 70 miles salary,” says Gooding. “That’s when passengers can put their feet up and let in battery mode, spelling the end of subsidies we’ll see higher volumes of cars sold.” computers take control of the steering wheel. to the most popular hybrid cars, such as the Even with a maximum grant of £3,500 The showroom performance of electric Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota Prius. towards the price of the vehicle, the vehicles reveals how their motor show Cities are looking to go even further, acquisition cost remains well above limelight has yet to translate to anything amid serious concerns over the role played equivalent models with an internal but negligible sales. For the first ten months by exhaust emissions in air pollution and combustion engine. Volkswagen’s battery- of 2018, sales of electric vehicles in the the impact this has on public health. powered e-up! city car, for example, costs UK totalled just 12,526 units, up 6% on Birmingham, London, Greater Manchester from £25,640, whereas the five-door petrol the same period of 2017 in an overall new and Oxford have already made commitments version starts at £9,725. The VW e-Golf retails car market down 7.2%, but acounting for to introduce not simply low emission zones, from £32,730 compared with a starting price an underwhelming 0.6% market share. but zero emission zones, albeit with few of £18,995 for the petrol five-door model. Sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, absolute deadlines beyond the capital. A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance earlier this year forecast that electric cars could become cheaper than their petrol There are four things that are equivalents by 2025, although there are so necessary for the electric revolution many variables in the mix, from the price of lithium for the batteries to the opportunity to to happen – retail, range, recharging amortise development costs across millions and residual values. of vehicles, that it’s a movable feast. Price parity between electric and fossil- Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation fuelled cars was a key factor in the one market, Norway, where battery-powered

Issue 1- Jan 2019 57 cars have genuinely passed a tipping point, achieving a 39.2% market share of We need some pretty intensive new car sales in 2017. While new car buyers in Norway face the highest retail prices thinking about where publicly in Europe, the Norwegian government’s available charge points need to be in decision to waive heavy purchase taxes and exempt the vehicles from 25% VAT, order to make people feel as relaxed about played a key role in driving demand. recharging as they currently are To ice the cake further, drivers of electric cars in Norway also benefit from a low annual about being within range of a petrol station. road tax, no charges on toll roads or ferries, Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation and free parking in municipal car parks. “Norway is leading the way for the transition to zero emission electric day to enter its ultra low emission zone - electric vehicles will be the cheapest type cars. This is first and foremost due to a and escape access bans when air pollution of vehicle to provide to employees.” substantial package of incentives developed reaches critical levels, could prove to be a The practical implications of running an to promote zero emission cars,” says a gamechanger. In the short-term, however, it’s electric vehicle as a company car, however, spokesman for Norsk elbilforening, the worth noting that the latest generation Euro expose two of the principal barriers to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association. 6 diesel engines will avoid London’s charge. technology’s uptake, namely their range and There is, though, an argument that the UK Company car drivers, too, stand the time it takes to recharge the batteries. may be slightly less price sensitive, at least to gain substantially from selecting A survey of more than 10,000 drivers in the acquisition cost of electric vehicles. an electric car from 2020-21, as the conducted by the AA in the summer found Current lengthy waiting lists for battery- percentage of the car’s list price used to that 76% think electric vehicles can’t travel powered cars indicate that price parity with calculate the benefit charge tumbles. far enough on a single charge, while 67% petrol or diesel equivalents may not be “The benefit-in-kind tax charge will believe the batteries take too long to charge. necessary, at least among early adopters. rise for 2019-20 to 16% and then fall Edmund King, AA president, argues Furthermore, savings from cheap recharges, dramatically to just 2% for 2020-21,” says that in many cases public perceptions compared to a tank of petrol or diesel, Clare Clifford, director and tax partner reflected myths rather than reality, should provide lower per mile running costs of Baldwins. “From a tax perspective, adding that more needs to be done to for electric vehicles, although sceptics will question how long the Government can afford to wave goodbye to the £28.2 billion it raises annually in road fuel duty; petrol and diesel incur duty of about 70%, whereas electricity is taxed at 5%, so e-power can expect to see its duty rise eventually. Arguably the most significant electric vehicle savings are for commuters and fleets that operate in soon-to-be-introduced clean air zones. The opportunity to avoid daily charges - London, for instance, will charge non-compliant vehicles £12.50 per

Sales of electric vehicles represented almost 40% of the new car market in Norway in 2017, compared to less than 1% in the UK. NISSAN.

Norway’s incentives for electric vehicles n No purchase or import taxes n Exemption from 25% VAT on purchase n Low annual road tax n No charges on toll roads or ferries n Free municipal parking n Access to bus lanes n 50% reduced company car tax n Exemption from VAT on leasing

Source: Norsk elbilforening (Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association)

58 Issue 1- Jan 2019 sell the benefits of electric vehicles. recharging, they are not earning an income. point that someone else could be using. “The range, charging speed and “They drive an average of 120 to 140 “We need some pretty intensive thinking charging point infrastructure are all on miles per day when they are working, so the about where publicly available charge points the increase,” he says. “Massive savings battery range has to be at least 150 miles in need to be in order to make people feel as can already be made on running and winter [cold weather has a negative impact relaxed about recharging as they currently are service costs, as well as the tax benefits.” on range], because charging twice in a about being within range of a petrol station.” Drill down into the detail of individual day is too much,” says Goldstone. “Then Price conscious buyers, especially fleets driver lives, however, and it’s not the you think about the demographics and governed by a total cost of ownership headline figure for the size of the UK’s geography of the drivers and you realise it’s philosophy, will also want to see more recharging infrastructure that matters as very unlikely they will live somewhere with robust residual values for electric vehicles much as the opportunity for drivers to its own off-street parking. If they do have before committing to the technology. recharge their cars overnight and top up off-street parking they are likely to live in “The car magazines will tell you that the batteries wherever they are during the the suburbs, such as Slough, Gatwick or nothing depreciates faster than an electric car, day. For predictable routes, such as a daily Luton, so they have to drive 20 to 25 miles but this is a very immature market. Plus in commute, home and workplace charging each way to the ‘action’, because the majority recent months we have seen the secondhand can satisfy this demand so long as drivers of our trips are along the Thames corridor price of some electric cars shooting back have off-street parking at both ends of their between Heathrow and Canary Wharf.” up because of a shortage of new models,” journey. But for drivers who use their vehicles Goldstone’s business needs a recharging says Gooding. “Maybe the answer on during the day, recharging is an issue. infrastructure that offers drivers the depreciation sits with the development of Green Tomato Cars provides a perfect chance to top up their batteries with a the PCP – where we’re not buying a car case in point. It operates London’s largest rapid charge without deviating more but buying a lease, so once automotive low emission fleet of almost 600 taxis, than three or four minutes from their last companies have ramped up production with a mix of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, passenger drop-off. A drive of two to three maybe they will guarantee used price of hydrogen and pure electric powertrains. miles in congested central London could an electric vehicle through these deals.” Managing director Jonny Goldstone easily take half an hour, time that neither If, for many drivers, the switch from admits that charging has always been the drivers nor business can afford. internal combustion engines to battery a challenge. The company’s drivers are In Norway, its Government opened up power remains a leap of faith, it is at least a largely self-employed, so all the time they bus lanes to electric vehicles, but as the leap into tried and tested technology. The are not taking a fare while their vehicle is RAC Foundation’s Steve Gooding says: transition to autonomous, self-driving cars “If you opened up the bus lanes to electric is a leap into science fiction. Gauging public cars in London, the buses would not get attitudes is difficult because it’s asking people through. It would still be a traffic jam, to imagine something that is unimaginable just with different types of vehicle.” and then asking how they feel about it. He also highlights the need for This helps to explain why a collision the Government to harmonise involving a self-driving car lingers in charge point technology so that the public consciousness, undermining it’s open to all makes of car. confidence in the technology. The “Charge points are not homogenous. newsworthy shock of incidents such as the Chargers can charge at different rates and Uber car that killed a pedestrian in Arizona different cars accept charge at different in March 2018 make them easy to recall, and rates. You need a perfect match between this convinces people that such events are car and charge point,” says Gooding. likely to happen more frequently, according “The Government probably needs to do to cognitive psychologist Dr Angela Weltman, something to standardise charge points. who has worked with Ford and Nissan. As a It’s important to understand that the car result, public attitudes to driverless cars shift will only accept charge at the rate it’s rapidly, and as the technology becomes more designed to accept it. Politicians talk about real, so public fears seem to be mounting. rapid chargers and superchargers, which OpenText, an enterprise information are great, but if you are driving a first management company, released findings generation electric car it’s irrelevant, because in November that indicated a declining at best you will be charging at way below UK public confidence in autonomous the chargepoint’s theoretical maximum technology. Its survey found that 31% of and all the while you’re blocking a charge respondents believe there will be more

Any technology that involves a physical aspect that could be disruptive with fatal consequences will moderate pick-up, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Nathan Marsh, Director of Digital Transformation, Atkins

Issue 1- Jan 2019 59 Although purchasers of electric vehicle models such as the Volkswagon e-Golf can qualify for grants of up to £3,500 towards the purchase price, they remain more than £10,000 more expensive than their petrol variants. ALAMY.

driverless/autonomous cars on the road than ‘normal’ cars in the next ten to 15 years, compared with 66% who thought this would be the case last year. Moreover, the number of people who said they would feel comfortable in a driverless car declined to 19%, compared to 24% in 2017. Mark Bridger, Senior Vice-President, Europe of OpenText, says: “We’re very much in an era of transition for automotive vehicles. The mix of confusion, fear, optimism and inevitability in the minds of UK citizens shows that whereas some artificial intelligence-enabled technologies have moved seamlessly into our lives, more game-changing offerings like autonomous vehicles will take time to be embraced.” The forerunners of driverless technology, such as the safety features like autonomous emergency braking and lane assist systems on new cars, are gradually introducing the concept of computer control to motorists, but there is a long way to go before drivers say they are happy to relinquish complete control. Research published by Cox Automotive at the end of the summer found 68% of people saying they would feel ‘uncomfortable’ riding in a vehicle driven by a computer (compared with 39% who feel uncomfortable in a car driven by a stranger), while an overwhelming 84% said humans should vehicles have to be tested in real-world Prof Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, always have the choice to drive themselves, driving conditions, 50% would not frames the debate neatly: “Imagine a even in an autonomous vehicle. want the trials to be conducted on roads situation, where the autonomous car has “As awareness around the development where they themselves drive or walk. got three choices: either it steers left and of autonomous technology increases, we’re Safety is central to this. “Autonomous harms an elderly lady. Or it steers right seeing some dramatic shifts in consumer vehicles have to improve safety, not and hits a pregnant woman. Or it drives sentiment,” says Karl Brauer, Executive just be safe,” says Michael Hurwitz, straight into an obstacle and thus harms Publisher, Cox Automotive. “People now have Director of Transport Innovation at its own passenger. In such a situation, a deeper understanding of the complexities Transport for London - and while vehicle human beings have no time for thoughtful involved when creating a self-driving car, and manufacturers wrestle with the fiendishly decisions. We simply react. But interestingly, that has them reconsidering their comfort difficult technical challenges involved we expect the autonomous car to make the level when it comes to handing over control.” in developing autonomous vehicles, right decision. As a society, we will have to So while three-quarters of the people there are also complex ethical issues to find ways how to deal with these topics.” polled by Cox accepted that autonomous resolve in order to reassure the public. Somewhere in the design chain computer programmers have to code this type of choice into the algorithms People now have a deeper of the artificial intelligence systems that understanding of the complexities will drive autonomous cars. Research published in the journal Science found involved when creating a self-driving that 76% of the public favoured AI that car, and that has them reconsidering their would choose to save the most lives overall in the type of scenario outlined comfort level when it comes to by Stadler. But those same respondents handing over control.Ó admitted they would be significantly less likely to buy an autonomous vehicle that Karl Brauer, Executive Publisher, Cox Automotive. sacrificed themselves and their passengers in order to protect other road users.

60 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Cars that qualify for UK grants The following models qualify for grants of 35% of their purchase price, up to a maximum of £3,500. To qualify, vehicles must have carbon dioxide emissions below 50g/km and be able to travel at least 70 miles without producing any emissions at all. n BMW i3 and i3s n BYD e6 n Citroen CZero n Hyundai IONIQ Electric n Hyundai KONA Electric n Jaguar I-PACE n Kia Soul EV n Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive n Nissan e-NV200 (five-seater and seven-seater) n Nissan LEAF n Peugeot iON n Renault ZOE n Smart EQ fortwo n Smart EQ forfour n Tesla Model S n Tesla Model X n Toyota Mirai n Volkswagen e-up! n Volkswagen e-Golf Source: gov.uk

aims to develop a blueprint for driverless ride-sharing services, identified that travelling in the confined space of a car with strangers prompts different reactions and requires different rules of social engagement to travelling on a bus or train. The ‘moral’ imperative that machine vehicles, and how these barriers might MERGE’s research found that women over thinking could eliminate the 90-plus percent be overcome. Key findings included a the age of 50 are least likely to use a shared of accidents caused by human error - 1,793 significant increase in participant trust in autonomous vehicle, while men aged 45 road deaths and 24,831 serious injuries on autonomous vehicles when the vehicles are most likely to accept the shared space. UK roads in 2017 - has yet to take hold. demonstrate more cautious behaviour than “This indicates that vehicle design While all new technology encounters human drivers. In one experiment, trust would be key to overcoming barriers a spectrum ranging from early adopters ratings fell when an autonomous vehicle to ride-sharing, by ensuring the to late accepters, the dangers inherent chose to drive through a gap that only 50% environment provided personal space, in autonomous driving separate it from of human drivers would accept, and rose safety and comfort,” said MERGE. other game-changing technology, such as when the vehicle declined such a gap. It also found greater public acceptance smartphones, argues Nathan Marsh, Director Interestingly, the participants in the of autonomous vehicles that might of Digital Transformation (UK and Europe) Venturer project showed no significant follow a set route, rather than roam at digital engineering specialist Atkins. difference in their attitudes to autonomous freely, with knowledge of the route “If an iPhone goes wrong it’s either vehicles whether they were pedestrians, increasing the perception of safety and an inconvenience or it’s a data breach cyclists or motorists, although all still control among potential passengers. and you could be defrauded, but it’s not favoured the idea of human drivers, Resolving each of these concerns going to career off the road,” he says. especially for taxis and buses. and anxieties, whether over the cost, “Any technology that involves a And it’s not simply the safety concerns range and recharging time of electric physical aspect that could be disruptive of handing control to a computer that vehicles, or the accident-avoidance with fatal consequences (the same goes ring alarm bells among the public. decisions made by autonomous vehicles, for artificial intelligence technology in Tracing the development of autonomous will be critical to the success of both health in the NHS) will moderate pick-up vehicles to their logical conclusion, technologies, but it’s not impossible. and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” namely fleets of self-driving taxis As Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Tipping As chair of the Venturer Alliance Board, replacing private cars, presents the Point: “Look at the world around you. It Marsh oversaw a three-year research and socially awkward scenario of passengers may seem like an immovable, implacable development project that explored the sharing journeys with strangers. place. It is not. With the slightest push - in obstaces to the adoption of autonomous The MERGE Greenwich project, which just the right place - it can be tipped.”

Issue 1- Jan 2019 61 to have said: “If I had asked people what they be they in their own car or in a bus or other Ian Wright wanted, they would have said faster horses.” form of public transport, is congestion. Head of Innovation While for governments - national and That problem is unlikely to be solved if and Partnerships, local - environmental issues, including everyone replaces a private car with a air pollution, have been key policy drivers private autonomous vehicle. Our Future of Transport Focus Transport Focus research shows that for Transport research a few years ago noted the transport users, environmental concerns growing trend for vehicle sharing rather than do not often determine modal choice. Cost ownership, but how easily that translates and convenience drive most transport from music and film to transport is a moot ransport Focus is a consumer body choices, along with comfort and a sense of point. that focuses largely on the needs and being in control. While in the Brexit climate, Questions such as who owns the vehicle, Texperience of transport users, be that advocating a Norwegian model may be and who owns the customer if the user does on public or private modes. As the article by contentious, from a consumer perspective it not own the vehicle (as many predicted Jonathan Manning makes clear, there are still would be good to see a greater use of carrots business models suggest) are important ones relatively few electric vehicles, and - as yet than sticks as has been done in Norway to to answer. - there are no autonomous private vehicles encourage uptake of EVs. And as Transport Focus research also beyond various trials. Transport Focus has yet When it comes to autonomous vehicles, noted, the future of transport is as much to explore electric vehicles (EVs) or connected safety is key when driver error is a major about the transport of information as it is and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in any contributory factor in road accidents. Indeed, about physical mobility. detail with consumers. road users themselves see this as an area Who owns or has access to the huge There is a dearth of thorough and up-to- that could be improved. When Transport amounts of data CAVs will produce - date research in the public domain, which Focus asked motorists on the Strategic businesses, individuals or authorities - will Transport Focus aims to address in its future Roads Network about their priorities for have major implications. research programmes. However, one thing improvement, “better behaved drivers” was It may well be that the commercial and seems clear; developments in this area have the third highest improvement requested. freight sectors adopt autonomous vehicles not been driven by consumer demand, It is likely the technology will not be the first, as early steps and platooning trials are but by technology companies, automotive major barrier to widespread adoption of already in place. However, it will be crucial to manufacturers and government policies. We CAVs. Regulatory, commercial, legal and observe how other drivers interact in these appear to be coming full circle from the mass user behaviour/acceptance issues will almost circumstances, because experience here may adoption of the internal combustion engine a certainly be greater barriers. One of the well dictate how well the technology gains century or so ago, when Henry Ford is alleged largest problems for current roads users, wider public acceptance.

supply constraints ease can be seen by the yet to experience EVs for themselves, and Matthew increase in 2018 sales reported by the Society this lack of product knowledge can lead to Eastwood of Motor Manufacturers and Traders year potential customers not having the benefits on year in October of 86.9% and November of EV ownership explained to them, or worse, Head of Transport, of 69.5% for a 0.8% and 0.9% market share being actively discouraged from purchasing Energy Saving Trust respectively. These represent impressive EVs. This may go some way to explaining the increases on admittedly low numbers, but the poor residual value performance of EVs, until demand is clear to see. relatively recently. There’s lots for the used Vehicle purchase costs must and will vehicle supply chain to learn, and with the ales figures alone might suggest reduce as production volumes of the vehicles battery size, charging rate and range differing that the market is hesitant to and their batteries increase. Battery cost between outwardly identical vehicles offered Sembrace electric vehicles, and that reductions are already beginning to be for sale, then it’s easy to see why prices can EVs have yet to reach a tipping point. evidenced by the significant increases in disappoint. It’s also why we at Energy Saving However, sales figures alone tell only half range with each new model to market. The Trust (EST) have been running sessions with the story. As highlighted in the article, recently announced Hyundai Kona EV with a both the new and used car sector including vehicle manufacturers need to gear up 64kWh battery has a quoted list price a little dealers and auctions to help those involved for the increased demand evidenced by above the Volkswagen Golf EV but it has a in the industry understand the vehicles better the long lead times experienced for the range under the new Worldwide Harmonised and sell them more effectively. vehicles currently on the market. It could Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) of Although charging points can potentially be argued that customers are waiting for 279 miles compared with 143 for the Golf. be a factor limiting consumer confidence, manufacturers to build the vehicles - both Volkswagen is unlikely to be left behind as they are being installed at pace. There existing models currently only available massive investments have been announced are Government grants available to in limited numbers and future, often to convert existing factories to electric vehicle local authorities to install infrastructure higher specification ones, promised by production and to secure battery supply to in residential streets without off-street manufacturers. meet increasing forecast demand. parking, at businesses and at homes with The limited range of models available Work does need to be done to engage with off-street parking. The private sector is also has no doubt also compounded the the automotive supply chain on EVs and fully engaged, with many new entrants to modest overall increase in EVs sold to date, vehicle charging technology. Many dealer the market for the provision on charging but the market potential as some of these staff of both new and used vehicles have infrastructure.

62 Issue 1- Jan 2019 their vehicle away from home or work, 50% capacity is available, then it can also deliver David were looking for a maximum time to recharge reduced congestion while not increasing Bizley of 30 minutes or less. Only 14% were willing overall costs for the majority of road users. to pay more for purchasing or leasing a pure It must also be structured to maintain Director, the RAC electric vehicle than for conventional petrol incentives to switch to electric. So, once the Foundation or diesel. When recharging en route, only Government is no longer preoccupied by 38% were willing to detour by more than five Brexit, motoring taxation in a zero emissions minutes to reach a charging point. It should world needs to be high on its agenda. not be too surprising, therefore, that we are The RAC’s research suggests motorists lmost 20 years have elapsed since not yet at the tipping point. understand the mobility benefits of fully I was fortunate enough to travel on Jonathan’s article highlights some of the autonomous vehicles, particularly for those Athe London to Brighton Veteran Car main challenges (Steve Gooding’s 4 Rs) with mobility limitations. But the research Run in a 1902 Waverley, one of the first fully and it is an accurate summary of the current also showed that motorists regard fully electric cars. And although battery technology situation. He refers to the Treasury’s income autonomous vehicles as less safe than when has moved on hugely over the last century, from fuel duty, and we must not forget their a driver is in charge. The article points out arguably not much else has changed. The income from Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT the contribution of human error to today’s Waverley was quiet and could out-accelerate on fuel sales; together, these total over £40 accidents which could be eliminated in a its petrol engine peers comfortably. But the billion per annum and much of this is at risk fully autonomous world. But the path to range was less than 30 miles and, because we from the switch to electric vehicles. Arguably, full autonomy is less straightforward and needed to recharge rapidly using DC-to-DC, this is the elephant in the room which the potentially less safe. Evidence is emerging we had to provide our own charging point. Government has been side-stepping. that Level 3 automation, where the driver Researchers for the 2018 RAC Report The introduction of some form of road may be required to take back control, carries on Motoring asked a cross-section of UK pricing seems inevitable to fill this revenue its own risks and that some drivers may be motorists what type of car they expected to gap. Road pricing received the thumbs down incapable of safely resuming control of their buy next time they changed their vehicle. Just in 2007, perhaps because it was seen as an vehicle when required to do so. 3% said they expected this to be pure electric additional tax on vehicle use that would Tipping points for full electrification and and 51% told us it would be more than 15 increase costs for businesses and individuals. autonomy of our vehicles seem some way years before they expected to be driving a However, if road charging replaces some off. But tipping points have a habit of arriving pure electric vehicle. Two thirds said they existing taxation and is structured to offer sooner than predicted. Just look at the speed would require a minimum range from a single incentives to make more efficient use of our with which early automobiles replaced horse- charge of 300 miles and, when recharging road network at times and in locations where drawn vehicles. So, watch this space!

We are also seeing big names in retail vehicles may be parked for some time while efficient use of valuable but limited road installing charge points at supermarkets, rapid recharging is essential to keep taxis and space. We are already seeing the roll most recently Tesco teaming up with private hire cars on the road and to enable out of the enablers of the technology in Volkswagen and PodPoint to install 2,400 longer distance journeys to be completed today’s cars with adaptive cruise control chargepoints across 600 stores and Marston’s with the minimum of inconvenience. and Autonomous Emergency Braking Inns and Taverns partnering with Engenie It’s worth noting that as vehicle range becoming commonplace. Self-parking, to install 400 rapid chargers across their increases so the need to plug-in to recharge active lane change and active speed estate. This is all in addition to Shell and every day declines for the average driver, limiting systems are all available in cars BP investing in the industry and installing however with technologies such as Vehicle now, as manufactures progressively chargepoints at fuel stations. to Grid being developed, it may pay drivers rollout the technology necessary for full It is essential to understand where demand to do so in the near future as they receive automation. How or when the technology is and EST is working to help local authorities payment for their cars becoming part of a will be widely available is unknown, understand where best to install chargepoints sustainable energy network. and may depend more on the speed of and the most appropriate speed of charge Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are an area legislative process than the availability of for the application. Slower, cheaper charging that is of interest for the future and, as the the technology, but the option to enjoy a is most appropriate overnight or for where article states, it’s all about the safe and journey where the vehicle handles all the driving is an attractive one. The use of bus lanes by EV was discussed, however, in order to reduce the overall number of vehicles on the road, and ensure those that remain are as efficient as possible and have a minimal impact on the environment. It is important recognise that it is also necessary to provide dedicated, attractive and convenient transport infrastructure to enable more journeys using active and sustainable modes of

my transport at the same time that the market A

Al embraces EVs, as it undoubtedly will.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 63 .

SMART TRANSPORT SMART JACK BOSKETT/ JACK

64 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Ethics, equality and contactless payments Smart transport technology has revolutionised travel for thousands of people. This means improved convenience for most. But are others in danger of being short changed? David Fowler investigates

rom the introduction of Oyster access to a contactless card. But, says Powell: by Transport for London in 2003, “They like to know what they’ve spent on a About progress from bespoke smartcards day-to-day basis. They’re not used to debit the author to contactless payment using EMV technology or that lifestyle, and they worry F David Fowler is a bank cards or smartphones has been rapid. about whether they’ve overspent.” freelance business TfL now offers pay-as-you go ticketing with For others, there is an issue with smartcard and technology automatic capping if your journeys add technology in which the user loads a given journalist. In addition up to the cost of a daily or, for contactless amount of funds or a season ticket on to the to being editor of passengers, a weekly pass. In the last few card. To buy a monthly travelcard you have Maintenance and Engineering magazine, he is a years the main transport groups have been to have enough money and that is an inbuilt former editor of Transport Times. rushing to install contactless payment on bus bias against poorer people. services. Transport for the North has gone out To some degree, contactless payment or to tender for a smart ticketing system to cover pay-as-you-go with capping has the ability registered to the system to travel, using either the whole of the north of England. to overcome that disadvantage. “You don’t contactless or Oyster-style payment. TfN is At the same time, transport information have to buy a travel pass to get the travel pass currently out to tender for Abbot, or Account- and travel planning apps have become rate,” says Powell. “Rather than having to buy Based Back Office for Travel. This will be the a smartphone staple. And in the West single tickets because that is all the money shared back office to be used by transport Midlands, Mobility as a Service is being you’ve got, contactless gives you the cheaper operators. introduced, in which a monthly subscription rate without paying up front.” Abbot will collect information on all trips payment gives users unlimited travel by a But outside London capping is rare. He (from multiple operators and modes, initially range of modes, accessed by a smartphone says: “There is still a bias against the single in the North but with potential for national app which includes a journey planner. ticket. People on very low incomes, who live scope), reconstruct journeys, charge the It’s not just the sizeable section of the week to week, won’t be able to buy a monthly best price for the completed journeys and population without a bank account or a ticket or season pass.” distribute revenue to transport operators smartphone, but anyone less confident of He adds that the bottom 40% of the and local transport authorities. Seven their IT or mobile technology skills could be population by income makes the majority organisations have been invited to bid by the affected. Could more convenient mobility for of its journeys by bus (and doesn’t use trains closing date of 14 January 2019. the majority go hand in hand with exclusion much) so the issue primarily affects buses. The OJEU notice for the procurement and and social isolation for others? “Smart technology has the ability to make TfN’s customer proposition for the scheme Dai Powell is chief executive of HCT the situation much fairer. It’s the biggest specify that it will cover bus, rail and light Group, a social enterprise company that grew single benefit, but you need an approach like rail in the North. It will offer contactless from Hackney Community Transport. It now Transport for the North is adopting, with a pay-as-you-go for single and day tickets, runs community and social services transport contactless card and a prepaid smartcard.” paid for after travel, with the price calculated as well as commercial services around the Powell points out that prepaid smartcards at the end of the day to give the best price country, including several London bus routes. can be topped up by someone other than the for the journeys made (in other words, daily Profits from its commercial work is reinvested user - so a Job Centre, or a new employer, capping). It is intended that weekly capping in further transport services or projects in the could offer a loan or payment to a new will follow. Payment will be by a contactless communities it serves. employee towards travel costs in their first bank card, smartphone or other device such “The percentage without access to a bank month. With a smartcard this can be done as ApplePay or AndroidPay. Multi-operator account in the low socio-economic quartile is without money physically changing hands, capping will also be offered. high,” says Powell. Moreover, even for those “and you know what the money’s being used For those without the ability to pay by who do have bank accounts, quite a few for”. those means, or who want to put a limit will have an account which doesn’t offer a Transport for the North has been given on their spending, the option of setting up contactless card he says. The effect on people funding by the Department for Transport an account linked to a pre-paid transport without bank accounts is the biggest single to develop a multi-operator, multi-modal smartcard will also be offered. Overall issue arising from the growth of contactless account-based ticketing system for its journey pricing will be calculated in the payment, he argues, but there are others. whole region. Account-based refers to the same way as if a bank card had been used. Some, particularly older people, may have use of either a bank account or an account However, for the smartcard, TfN says it

Issue 1- Jan 2019 65 will not be clear until bidders’ proposals aware that a number of our customers need Its general manager Mike Duncombe are received whether it will be possible to or prefer to use cash, and we’re not in any believes the main bus operators are pushing offer weekly or multi-operator capping. way discontinuing cash payments.” quite strongly to get ticketing off the bus, First Bus, in common with the other main Under First’s approach, contactless preferring contactless payment or barcodes UK transport groups, has been working payment is a straight replacement for cash, on smartphones, without giving sufficient intensively to introduce contactless payment offering single fares at the same price but consideration to the third of passengers on its buses. It completed the process of with the convenience of contactless. For the - including people on lower incomes and fitting out its entire 5,800 strong fleet in best value tickets, passengers need to use children - who pay by cash. Installing the September 2018. First Bus managing director First’s mTickets mobile app, where they can capability to accept contactless payment is Giles Fearnley says: “Our position is clear - get daily or weekly tickets or carnets at a quite low cost for the operators, not requiring it’s about giving people choice and making discount to the normal single fare. extensive infrastructure other than readers on bus travel more attractive. There are no plans Yorcard is a company limited by guarantee the bus. to phase cash transactions out. We want to set up by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Yorcard works with the West Yorkshire encourage as many customers as possible to Executive and West Yorkshire Combined Ticketing Company Limited, a joint venture use contactless or mobile phone payments, Authority to fulfil the smart ticketing needs of between the bus and rail operators of West to speed up boarding times, but we’re acutely public transport users in the Yorkshire Region. Yorkshire and its delivery partner, the West

Take-up of internet-enabled devices, by age

Proportion of adults (%) 16-24 25-34 35-54 55+ 96% 96% 88% 76% 72% 66% 65% 62% 60% 59% 55% 54% 49% 48% 47% 44% 43% 40% 40% 38% 38% 37% 32% 32% 32% 28% 26% 26% 26% 24% 24% 21% 20% 18% 14% 14% 14% 13% 10% 10% 10% 6% 5% 4% Smart Tablet Phone Games Games Laptop Console Console Internet Internet Desktop VOD Box E-reader Portable Portable Smart TV Dongle or Dongle Connectwd Connectwd Set-top Box Source: Ofcom Technology Tracker, H1 2017 Internet-connected dongle or set-top box includes NOW TV set-top box, Smart Watch Base: Adults aged 16+, 16-24 n = 512, 25-34 n = 544, 35-54 n = 1202, Roku, Google Chrome, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV 55+ n = 1485 Significance testing: Arrows indicate any significant differences at the Note: Ranked by overall household ownership 99% confidence level between UK adults overall’and each age group

Transport technology and barriers to employment THE advent of smart ticketing has been work depends, in part, on understanding travel was that travel information was rarely paralleled by an explosion of travel information options, and the quickest and cheapest modes of presented in a way that enabled individuals and journey planning apps on mobile devices. transport to any given location,” the report said. to understand commuting options in terms of The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, Some interviewees had extensive knowledge of travel times to a range of potential locations of Tackling transport-related barriers to local transport network travel choices, and seemed employment. Some interviewees commented employment in low-income neighbourhoods, confident in accessing travel information online that the travel time maps shown during published in August 2018, examined the or through smartphone apps, including Google interviews made them realise there were transport issues facing out-of-work residents Maps and National Rail Enquiries. However, more options than they had been aware of. in six low-income neighbourhoods in others less proficient with, or without access to, The study’s recommendations included: “Make England and Scotland, and interviewed appropriate technology were more reliant on public transport more accessible and more 70 residents in the study areas. information from service providers such as local accountable through technology - particularly Many of its findings centred on the fact employment support organisations, transport through open data (including fares) and real-time that reliable and affordable public transport hubs or schedules provided at bus stops. data on public transport - to understand issues, links to places of work were inadequate or A minority of interviewees had no access to, develop solutions and communicate information non-existent. However, it also made some or confidence in using, smartphones, which is to users” and “implement lower-cost, multi- comments on transport fares and information. an important consideration in developing new operator tickets or smartcard/contactless “The ability of individuals to commute to smart ticketing options. An important finding systems that cap fares automatically”.

66 Issue 1- Jan 2019 How TfL removed cash from buses

WITH the introduction of contactless payment, in 2014 Transport for London was able to stop taking cash payments on buses, a long-held ambition aimed at making boarding times quicker as well as having the security advantage of not carrying cash on the bus. This might have been expected to disadvantage some passengers, but was achieved with a minimum of controversy. Shashi Verma, TfL chief technology officer and director of customer experience, says: “There has been an intention to remove cash fares since 2007. I was the one who kept objecting. When people started talking about it, 6-7% of journeys were made using cash fares - that’s half a million a day. I took the view that we couldn’t do it when there were that many journeys. It was a different story after the launch of contactless when the level of cash fares came down to 0.5%.” TfL undertook research which showed that it was not the poor or disadvantaged who were using cash: it was infrequent users, who hadn’t bothered to get on Yorkshire Combined Authority, to offer multi- More than 86 million Oyster cards Oyster card. operator smart tickets under the MCard have been used since the electronic “So we said we’re giving you an brand. Currently daily, weekly, monthly, and smartcards were launched in 2003. alternative,” says Verma. TfL also put in young person’s cards are offered on ITSO TRANSPORT FOR LONDON. safeguards, with bus drivers instructed not smartcards. In West Yorkshire a pay-as- to leave a child or other vulnerable person you-go card, without a cap, is also offered. 700,000 people don’t have a bank account. behind (including adults late at night) even Overall, Duncombe believes, this is “better Adding young people takes the total to over a if they had no money. “That’s why it went than nothing but a long way short of the million who won’t be served by a contactless smoothly,” he says. best”. bank card.” Before the move, TfL received three or “One area where there remains an Yorcard and WYTCL have agreed in four complaints a day because the bus opportunity to sere the unbanked is a pre- principle that the new card, which will be driver didn’t have change. Afterwards, it paid multi-operator pass,” he says, adding: pre-paid, will offer not just multi-operator still received three or four complaints daily, “Yorcard is very keen to attack the contactless capping, but also a level of cashback based on because the bus would not accept cash. bank card situation.” how much it is used, like some credit cards. There was no sudden upsurge. When TfN’s Abbot scheme becomes Some details are still to be worked out and operational it is likely that the capping regulatory hurdles overcome but Duncombe capabilities of the contactless offer will be is confident the card will be launched in 2019. from the financial mainstream pay a “poverty more extensive than those of the smartcard Prospective users will have to become premium” of £1,300 each year. Community to be introduced alongside it. “At that point members of the credit union, which brings First Credit Union chief executive Gary the best offer for ticketing will be to use your other benefits such as an account that Simpson says: “There is certainly a need for bank card,” Duncombe says. “People on allows direct debits to be paid, and an this, and if we can offer it, it will complement contactless will have a better deal than those app and software to help with managing a lot of other things we do.” who aren’t.” money. Although the card will be marketed Second, Yorcard will also help smaller, In response, Yorcard is planning to primarily as a travel card, it will be “open under-resourced bus operators. These are the introduce a contactless bank card specifically loop”, allowing it to be used anywhere where sort of companies who bid to local authorities aimed at people who don’t currently have contactless cards are accepted. to run subsidised services at off-peak times, a bank account. It is working with the Yorcard has two objectives. First, to give when they are unprofitable and not of Community First Credit Union, the UK’s people living on low incomes or Universal interest to the mainstream operators. “To largest credit union, covering an area from Credit or other benefits the same offer as complete the customer proposition they’ve South Yorkshire to Hartlepool, and banking those who are better off. Duncombe points got to take contactless, but the equipment and payments provider Contis. out that the Financial Inclusion Commission is quite expensive for smaller operators,” Duncombe says: “In the north, around in its 2015 report quoted that people excluded says Duncombe. Yorcard will help via soft

Issue 1- Jan 2019 67 leasing arrangements, as it did previously money being taken from their bank account.” to help with installing ITSO equipment. When Oyster was introduced people were It is also working with WYTCL to introduce encouraged to switch from cash by making a multi-operator barcode ticketing app, single bus fares cheaper on Oyster than the something currently not available, which equivalent cash fare. For contactless, he says, is expected to be launched next summer. It “from the beginning in 2007 it was clear we will be designed to run on even the oldest couldn’t use differentiated fares to promote Android or iPhone. contactless over Oyster.” Transport for London has been at the One area where there is a difference is forefront of introducing smart technology, that contactless offers weekly as well as from the Oyster smartcard to contactless daily capping. Weekly capping is about to be payment. Shashi Verma, TfL chief technology introduced on Oyster: Oyster transactions officer and director of customer experience, will be reprocessed through the contactless says that some of the arguments against bank office, whereupon a refund will be contactless were also levelled at Oyster issued if applicable. But Verma argues it originally, for example that it would be too would have been illogical to hold weekly complicated for the elderly. “We take this capping on contactless back because at the in our stride,” he says. “Our response is to outset it couldn’t be offered to everyone. make it so simple that the learning curve is The success of contactless has led to minimal, as far as possible.” suggestions that TfL might withdraw Oyster. He continues: “When we got to contactless, The claim that contactless means the end of there were two big issues: people who didn’t Oyster is an allegation made all the time, he have contactless bank cards, and people who says. “We are on record as saying Oyster is did have contactless cards but didn’t want to not going anywhere,” says Verma. “That was a use them because of concerns either about design principle from day one. Contactless is security or, for those on low incomes, about a fantastic product, but not for everyone.”

The spread of Mobility as a Service A MUCH-heralded new development is Mobility as a Service, whereby a single provider will offer, thorough a periodic subscription and via a smartphone app, access to a wide range of transport modes - not just bus, rail and tram hire will be added when the service becomes but taxi, car clubs, and so on. Rather than available. For the initial year the experience of integrating the ticketing system, this approach up to 500 users will be monitored to allow the aims to integrate services from different service to be fine-tuned. transport providers under a single umbrella. The The Whim app integrates travel planning concept is being trialled in the West Midlands, and payment in a single smartphone app, Helsinki and Antwerp. and currently offers three plans: pay as you Transport for the West Midlands head of go; Whim Everyday, which provides unlimited transport innovation Chris Lane said that TfWM public transport use for £99 a month; and Whim identified MaaS as an opportunity “to make a Unlimited, which for £349 monthly also includes difference to the way people travel, and change extensive car hire and taxi use. Further packages behaviour”. are due to be added by the end of 2018. TfWM approached Finland’s MaaS Global Being app-based, Whim is not available to and invited the company to launch its Whim non-smartphone users. To cater for these users, service in the region. This meant that the Lane says TfWM is continuing to develop its Smartphone service could be set up quickly and without Swift smartcard, which currently covers bus, tram large public sector investment. By acting as a and rail. To these will be added car parking, taxi ownership partner and facilitating links between MaaS services (being piloted in the Black Country) and, THE Ofcom Communications Market Report Global and the region’s transport providers again, cycle hire. Lane explains that Whim, and 2017 found that 86% of adults in socio- TfWM was also able to influence the service. particularly its top-end package, is aimed more economic group AB owned a smartphone, Whim was launched in April 2018 with at habitual car users; by providing easy access to dropping to 66% among DE adults. 96% partners National Express West Midlands, Gett, car hire it hopes to persuade them to use a Whim of people in both the 16-24 and 25-34 age Enterprise and Sixt to offer transport by bus, package in place of a car (or second car) and thus groups owned a smartphone, but only 45% tram, taxi and car hire. Train tickets are offered also to use public transport more. To mirror this, aged 55 or over. via rail aggregator OnTrack, and Nextbike cycle Swift is expanding the range of services offered

68 Issue 1- Jan 2019

JACK BOSKETT/ SMART TRANSPORT .

to a customer base which is primarily made up of He adds: “MaaS, if you get it right, will take system. Trial it with older people. Involve the habitual public transport users. away a level of anxiety among older people about lower quartile to generate more awareness. TfWM has also collaborated with ESP Group to the last legs of journeys by bringing in taxis.” Include them on steering groups. Be aware run a pilot called Car Freedom, a service aimed at He believes the ability to book a whole journey they’re in the most need of public transport. people over 60 who had given up driving or no straight through, including a taxi at the end, will Designing inclusivity in at the start is easier longer had a licence, which included a phone- be a huge benefit particularly for the elderly if the than changing the architecture afterwards.” based door to door journey planning service for app is well designed. He adds that for transport information, the people who would prefer to speak to someone Transport for London’s chief technology officer big thing is to push for open data, like TfL. If the than use a website. The results of the pilot are Shama Verma believes MaaS has a fatal flaw. “If data is available, he says, there will be people currently being evaluated to see whether the it offers unlimited travel of any kind, why would I who will design apps aimed at particular service can be launched commercially, or whether use a bus rather than a limousine? So you have to groups such as the elderly. aspects can be adopted and integrated by other limit limousine use, which adds complexity.” Verma argues that when introducing or providers- West Midlands Trains and ESP are He adds: “Our view is that a high degree of withdrawing a service - such as closing ticket currently running a journey planning trial called integration is desirable but it can be done by offices to free staff to be available on the Ask Annie. integrating the means of payment. As long as concourse or platform - the key is to work HCT’s Powell believes Mobility as a Service you’ve got contactless and Oyster you’re OK. You methodically through all the functions being raises similar issues to transport information can argue about including taxi, private hire, cycle served to make sure that they will remain concerning smartphone ownership or lack of hire and so on but the cost of doing that are quite available, even if provided in an alternative confidence with the technology, but also has high.” Moreover, he argues, there would be little form. potential positives. to be gained by doing this when, in any case, you He sums up TfL’s philosophy, which applies “We should get away from the idea that older can link a contactless card to Uber. from ticketing to travel information to step- people can’t use smart technology, but it has to be As technology develops, how should transport free access: “The fact of our existence is to quite clear and straightforward. Older people need authorities and operators guard against social serve everyone and make as much effort as things to be uncluttered and with larger print, but exclusion? HCT’s Powell says: “The biggest thing physically possible to make sure we are serving app designers can accommodate that.” is to consult the people who will be using the everyone.”

Issue 1- Jan 2019 69 Reality, of course, is messier - and how the disruption in Paris. Although these actions Professor potential benefits of new technologies are seem to be for opposing reasons, they appear Nick Reed distributed leads to concerns over equality. to share a common thread - a perception that, Some of this mess stems from changes by their actions or inaction, ruling authorities Head of Mobility in urban design priorities. A criticism often favour one group disproportionately over R&D, Bosch levelled at city transport systems is that another, with protests organised in response. they are too car-centric and should be more Similarly, and as expertly explored in this people-centric. I disagree with this framing article, the introduction of new payment of the issue. My view is that transport systems can disproportionately favour obility is critical to the ways systems have always been people-centric some and disenfranchise others. This is in which we meet our economic, but, whereas in the 1950s, transport planners reinforced by preliminary findings from Msocial, educational and healthcare aimed to facilitate car travel as the preferred a UK Government study called Access to objectives. From the invention of the wheel, mode; we have since learned that to manage Cash - due to be published in Spring 2019. technology has continually evolved the ways the required volume of movement and to It shows 47% of British citizens would in which this mobility is achieved. reach air quality, environmental and aesthetic find living without cash problematic while Our experiences of the evolution of aims, different approaches are required. those on lower incomes who have a greater UK transport systems, especially in urban Urban design can have dramatic social dependence on cash transactions face higher environments, can provoke a mixture of impacts on neighbourhoods. For example, prices by not being able to shop online and emotions. Maybe frustration at networks that highways built in West Oakland, California being less able to access credit facilities. appear hamstrung by legacy infrastructure in the 1950s barrelled through low income As transport systems tend towards smart and processes. Possibly confusion at where, neighbourhoods, leaving the immigrant ticketing and cashless operation, this group how and how much to pay for a particular and African-American communities that could be disproportionately affected. journey. Perhaps bewilderment at the remained blighted by decay, pollution and Progress is defined as developments proliferation of mobility apps that present crime for decades thereafter. towards an improved condition. New sometimes conflicting guidance. Recent examples of reactions to transport technologies certainly have the potential to By contrast, the promise of universal high- developments were apparent in significant deliver progress. speed connectivity, artificially intelligent protests on either side of the English With technology reaching into our lives systems and automated vehicles offer the Channel. in increasingly profound ways, issues of basis for sometimes Utopian visions of safe, In December 2018, regular weekend equality will become increasingly prominent. affordable, reliable and flexible transportation protests at the imposition of a fuel tax by the Our responses to it may need to be similarly put forward by technology developers. gilet jaunes movement caused widespread profound.

n The sensitivities associated with cashless to individuals being able to make informed Jon Foley payment for travel. judgements on whether the upside of this Director, In n Privacy concerns associated with technology outweighs the downside. In a the Round smartphone location services. world where the user’s handheld device n Skewed convenience of on-demand location is known, possible advantages are: Communications motorised travel. n Knowing exactly which route to take from Cashless ticketing solutions such as where you are to where you want to be rather contactless payment and smartcards can be than leaving anything to chance must be good. But if they reinforce social isolation and good. he on-going grappling with the exclusion then they are bad. To be equitable n Being made aware of an issue with your unintended consequences on society and customer-centric it should be possible to intended route before leaving home or office Tof the current transformation in travel purchase travel both in person and remotely. must be good particularly if backed up with and transport is intriguing. The relentless It should also be possible to purchase travel advice on a good alternative. march of new mobility solutions comes with in advance, in bundles (season tickets) or n Receiving advice that instead of taking a not yet fully understood series of impacts as you go, and it should be possible for all your on-demand trip by car that the same which will, in my opinion, be far more wide- sectors of society to do so without feeling journey could be quicker on-foot, cheaper reaching than when Henry T Ford’s first disadvantaged. There will always be people and quicker by the shared bike that’s just motor car was unveiled just over 100 years not able to pay larger sums in advance for around the corner but hidden from view or ago. things, or for to whom banks can’t offer cheaper by public transport. The transformations taking place are contactless payment. There are many who An important disadvantage is perceived numerous and diverse. Whether it is smart- are not comfortable using technology and infringement of civil liberty. What matters ticketing and journey planning platforms, the some of us just like the simple reassurance is that good sense prevails, and operational increased uptake in e-rideables (you heard it of human contact in a potentially complex requirements ensure the user is able to here first… I think) such as electric bikes and transaction. A hybrid solution of contactless activate or de-activate the locational element. scooters, society’s obsession with on-demand payment and smartcard technology looks to Finally, turning to the potential unintended everything and the share-economy or the provide the user flexibility required but only if social consequences of future travel options, fascination with autonomous motorised payment options exist. in Mobility as a Service (MaaS) there is vehicles, the transport profession is Turning to the location-based smartphone what at first glance appears to be a fantastic confronted with a potentially mind-blowing technology often found in travel and other multi-modal solution. It is not too difficult mix of social issues. I would like to reflect on apps, many are concerned they represent an to imagine that as it becomes easier for just a few: invasion of privacy. This surely comes down on-demand motorised vehicles to be hailed

70 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Christian industries have gone down the path of London make similar complaints about cutting costs to the detriment of the standard the fact that drivers can no longer accept Wolmar of service they offer. Does anyone really fares. However, in that case, unlike with prefer having to sort out their own shopping the closure of all the ticket offices, I think Transport writer at a till while a machine barks sometimes the decision was correct. The savings and broadcaster incomprehensible orders at them? Is it not are enormous, dwell times at stops were a pain to have to print off your own luggage reduced and people soon accepted the label instead of getting a pleasant check-in new system. person to do it for you and put your bag on This is the heart of the matter. The ow two aims of transport policy the conveyor belt? And surely no-one likes benefits of the introduction of technology can conflict with one another and those robot answering machines which start must be demonstrated to passengers Hlead to difficult decisions having off “to get you to the right operator, we want and whatever is introduced must either to be made by providers is highlighted by to ask you a few questions” when, after 10 be inclusive, or alternative arrangements David Fowler. minutes, it is fortunate that the handset has must be made available to those who On the one hand, there is an not been thrown through a window. cannot or will not make use of the understandable desire to keep costs So there is a clear dividing line between innovation. Moreover, they should not be to a minimum in order to make public decisions on the adoption of technology that at a disadvantage in terms of pricing, like transport more affordable and less of a are made which clearly reduce the standard households which still use pay-as-you-go burden on the taxpayer. On the other, of service being delivered and those which electricity supplies. there are many users who may not be able offer an unequivocal improvement to users. Passengers will soon realise when an to cope with new methods of payment. Oyster is a case in point. Few regular users innovation offers no benefits to them but That’s either because they are unable to would want to go back to the old days of results in a less good service - they will obtain access to the right sort of bank paper tickets which often had to be bought vote with their feet. Moreover, freezing accounts or because there is a reluctance from crowded ticket offices. However, out traditional users by making services to use payment methods that may lead to Transport for London clearly went too far by only accessible to those with nice healthy future debt. Not everyone can simply flash closing all the ticket offices, as demonstrated bank accounts will not do transport their contactless card without knowing by the irate crowds that regularly appear at providers any favour in the long run. how much they are spending. the St Pancras entrance to the Underground. These issues must all be considered before Many service providers in other Certainly, I have heard bus users in any innovation is introduced.

at the press of a button will we see otherwise walkable and cyclable journeys replaced. The negative social impacts of this could be considerable. Socially complex and challenging times lay ahead but, in this technologist-led environment, who should be society’s guardian? What is the role for the Government? The rate of change in mobility is startling, can governments keep up? Can governments do more to boss the debate, working closely with others to develop well- conceived performance-based partnerships which ensure emerging mobility solutions are socially balanced? As a parent I often stop and admire my children’s adaptability. Embracing our adaptability by being more present in how we wish our communities, towns, cities and regions to evolve should now be front and centre. Collectively we, our policymakers and our leaders would do well to not just let this change happen and then adapt but instead for us all to be part of shaping things.

In the words of President Abraham Lincoln SPORT (et al) “the best way to predict the future an

RT TR RT is to create it”…but ensuring the intended a and unintended impacts on society are fully SM understood. I’ll be watching with interest and doing

what I can to nudge things along. Bigland/ Paul

Issue 1- Jan 2019 71 Here’s Smart Transport’s digest of documents and reports released by industry bodies during the past few months. A selection of those listed will be available Research for download from the Smart Transport members’ database at https://www.smarttransport.org.uk. If members would like to submit a report for inclusion, and reports please email [email protected].

Tackling transport-related barriers to employment in low- income neighbourhoods Joseph Rowntree Foundation - August 2018

Making public transport “more accessible and more accountable through technology” is one of four areas on which this paper argues strategic and “coordinated action” is needed. It argues for making open data available, including on fares. Improving connectivity in low-income neighbourhoods should also come through “implementing bus franchising or ‘strong’ methods of cooperation”, “developing longer-term spatial planning frameworks and tools”, and “integrating transport and employment policy”. Blockchain Disruption in Transport: Are you The Road to Zero: Next steps Decentralised Yet? towards cleaner road transport and delivering our Industrial Catapult Transport Systems - June 2018 Strategy

Department for Transport - July 2018 Blockchain decentralised database technology “could help to increase “By 2050 we want almost every car and van to be collaboration, the sharing of trusted zero emission.” So says this Industrial Strategy report information and efficiency, reduce costs and from Government on cleaning up road transport. risk, and forge new business models in the It lists among long term ambitions putting the transport sphere”, this paper argues. UK in the vanguard of the design and building of Recommendations include stimulating zero-emissions vehicles - and for at least 50% of the market through establishing a research car sales to be of zero emissions vehicles by 2030. and development programme supported The Government’s approach, it says, is technology by Government funding, and increasing neutral. understanding and knowledge-sharing through creation of a ‘Community of Interest’.

Towards Trusted Data Sharing: Guidance and Case Studies Royal Academy of Engineering - December 2018

Containing a checklist and case studies, this report argues that increasing the scale of data sharing “where it meets business and privacy needs, will help to release value but it requires sources of friction to be reduced and it must be done in ways that maintain, and do not erode, trust.” Barriers to sharing of data include regulatory issues, rights management, and difficulties in “creating clear contractual arrangements”.

72 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Mobility as a Service House of Commons Transport Select Committee - December 2018

Government “should not miss” the opportunity offered by Mobility as a Service, the Transport Select Committee argues - and says that MaaS should form a “key part” of ambitions to make the UK a leader in the future of mobility. It sets three tasks (leadership, practical support and legislative/regulatory underpinning), calling on government to set out its vision for MaaS, offer financial support for pilot schemes, and bringing forward legislative proposals, among other actions.

Transport Statistics Great Britain 2018: Moving Britain Ahead Data Hub Department for Transport - December Urban Transport Group - December 2018 2018

Rail accounted for 3% of trips but 11% of A rework of the UTG’s Data Hub that was distance travelled in 2017, according to the latest launched in 2017 now includes station entry annual statistics released by the Department and exit figures for metropolitan areas. for Transport. Cars were used for 62% of trips What the UTG describes as “Britain’s first (78% of distance), while more than a quarter interactive transport data tool” now also of trips were on foot – but only 1% of distance. has an expanded ability to “select, visualise Commuting and business purposes accounted for and share” data, as well as to create maps of more than half (51%) of trips made by surface rail. transport data.

Cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians: measuring satisfaction with journeys on Highways England’s network in the North West and East Midlands Transport Focus - October 2018

The first findings of a new survey that builds a picture of the experience these users have when travelling along or crossing strategic roads, and will track improvements over time. Data from the online survey, and that from in-depth interviews, is also plotted onto interactive maps that are available for the East Midlands and North West areas.

Driving into 2025: The future of electric cars

J.P Morgan - October 2018 Plug-In Vehicle Guide National Franchised Dealers The J.P Morgan Research team explores the rise of Association - December 2018 the electric vehicle and what the industry will look like in 2025 when “EVs and HEVs will account for an estimated 30% of all vehicle sales”. Intended to provide NFDA members with By 2025, J.P Morgan estimates that sales of information to “accurately inform their plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will rise to close to customers about plug-in vehicles” this report 8.4 million vehicles (or a 7.7% market share) while summarises grants and tax benefits available the HEV sector is expected to swell from just 3% of to consumers as part of encouragement to global sales to more than 25 million vehicles (or 23% of global sales) over the same period. switch to plug-in vehicles, plus other details including different types of vehicles available.

Issue 1- Jan 2019 73 Some closing thoughts on what’s trending in the And finally... world of smart transport Meet the flying car S it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s a flying car that went on sale in the USA a few months ago. I There’s nothing new about cars that can also fly (or vice versa) - there have been many variations on the theme since the early 1900s. But, according to manufacturer Terrafugia (which belongs to the parent company of Volvo), the Transition two-seat MARK WARREN/TERRAFUGIA. hybrid electric vehicle can switch between road and flying modes in less than 60 seconds, and can fly up to 400 miles at a speed of up to 100mph. The pricetag of such a machine is not yet known, but preliminary sales for the first models are believed to have opened in October 2018. It certainly gives a new meaning Airport, New Hampshire, to put the Transition A second-generation concept - the TF-2 - is to the term ‘last-mile solution’ with pilots able through further testing and then into also in development with vertical take-off and to land the Transition at a small airfield before production. The company says the “unique landing (VTOL) capability. And Terrafugia activating the wing-folding mechanism and automotive vehicle and light sport aircraft” will isn’t the only company to develop a flying car: then driving themselves straight home, or to be built to be fully legally compliant with FAA Aston Martin is pursuing its Voltane Vision deliver cargo. (Federal Aviation Administration) and NHTSA Concept, and Airbus, Uber and Rolls-Royce are Terrafugia signed a lease in August 2018 for (National Highway and Traffic Administration) working on their own models to offer personal 6,700sq ft of hangar and office space at Nashua standards. air mobility. Watch this space.

Rapid charging stations unveiled

OLKSWAGEN has confirmed it relocated to cater for shifting demand. They an efficient network of charging points. will introduce a new generation of work according to the principle of a power “They can be set up anywhere as required VEV charging stations later this year bank, such as those used for mobile phones. - with or without connection to the power that can boost the batteries in some models An alert is sent to VW once the power packs supply. This flexibility enables a completely of electric car in less than 20 minutes. The are depleted to 20% so they can be replaced new approach for the rapid expansion of the portable stations will be launched in the with a new one. charging infrastructure.” carmaker’s home city of Wolfsburg, before The stations can also be connected to These mobile charging stations offer one being extended across Germany in 2020. a 30kW power supply that automatically further crucial advantage. Mark Mollar, Head By being independent from any power recharges the power packs, and will allow the of Technical Development at Volkswagen source, they can be deployed almost anywhere storage of renewable energy including wind Group Components, explains: “It is only when - such as large public events - and then quickly and solar. With a capacity of 360kWh, each an electric car is charged with sustainable

station can recharge up to 15 electric cars to generated power that it can claim CO2-neutral 80% capacity before it is spent. mobility. Our charging station is the first to According to VW, it is able to charge a offer the possibility of temporarily storing 28kWh battery in just 17 minutes which sustainably generated power.” typically equates to 80% of a VW e-Golf (109 The announcement forms part of VW’s miles), 71% of a Nissan Leaf (110 miles) or transition from internal combustion to 37% of a Tesla Model 3 (110 miles) which the electrification of its portfolio including should be plenty of power to get most people the launch of a new electric ID brand, as

VOLKSWAGEN. home. it continues to recover from the infamous Thomas Schmall, Chairman of Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ emissions scandal of 2015. Group’s management board, says: “The mobile Volkswagen remains the world’s biggest- charging stations are a decisive step towards selling vehicle maker.

74 Issue 1- Jan 2019 Does the Clean Air Strategy go far enough? INISTERS have set out how that is attracting stinging criticism for not CLEAN AIR the Government plans to tackle going far enough to combat pollution from STRATEGY 2019 Mair pollution with the publication road transport, in particular nitrogen oxides, of the Clean Air Strategy 2019 on January which have regularly exceeded European 14. Many of its proposed new policies are targets. aimed at reducing emissions from the Those critics include Mayor of London biomass and agriculture sectors in order Sadiq Khan who says: “While the to bring the UK’s air quality within WHO Government has finally accepted that toxic guidelines. air pollution is a national health crisis, this Among the ten objectives set out in the strategy lacks the ambition required to strategy is the complete phase-out of coal- clean up our air.

fired power stations, new regulations to “The hard-hitting measures we’re 1 reduce ammonia emissions from farming, taking in London are already starting to and a possible ban on the most highly make a difference - from cleaning our bus for Greenpeace UK, agrees with Khan. polluting household solid fuels, including and taxi fleet, to school audits and the He says: “Even after acknowledging the coal and wet wood. introduction of the world’s first Ultra-Low seriousness of the air pollution crisis the The document also reiterates the Emission Zone in central London this Government is proposing nothing new Government’s commitment to phasing out April.” to tackle pollution from road transport. diesel- and petrol-fuelled cars by 2040, but Morten Thaysen, Clean Air Campaigner Ministers are idling on confronting a key source of toxic emissions. A 2040 phase- out date for diesel and petrol is effectively While air pollution may conjure saying that, yes, your grandchildren deserve clean air, but your children will images of traffic jams and exhaust just have to go on breathing toxic fumes fumes, transport is only one part of the so as not to disrupt the car industry’s sales forecasts.” story and the new strategy sets out the In defence of the Clean Air Strategy, important role all of us - across all sectors Environment Secretary Michael Gove says: “While air pollution may conjure of work and society - can play in reducing images of traffic jams and exhaust fumes, transport is only one part of the emissions and cleaning up our air to protect story and the new strategy sets out the our health. important role all of us - across all sectors of work and society - can play in reducing Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs emissions and cleaning up our air to protect our health.” ALAMY

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