Pointing the way

The government’s

(TSB) is investing £7m in research that aims to help members of the public plan their journeys better.

The research will adapt existing technology and develop innovations to find the best ways for people to access and use accurate information to plan their journeys.

Commenting on the Informed Personal Travel project, Iain Gray, chief executive at the TSB, said: ‘Travelling smarter means lowering costs, encountering fewer delays and reducing frustration. To help achieve all this, we need to develop innovative solutions that will enable us to plan journeys, and to keep us informed en route. The aim of this research is to find these solutions while creating exciting UK business opportunities at the same time.’

The investment will provide partial funding for winning projects that best address these issues, and which involve businesses working with other businesses, research organisations or academic institutions.

Stephen Hart, who leads the TSB’s work in the area of intelligent transport systems and services, added: ‘We want to develop innovative solutions that are likely to improve the quality of travel when planning and executing personal journeys.

‘There is no single technology that will provide the answers, and no single industry sector. Information and communication technology, electronics, photonics, electrical systems and the creative industries may all have contributions to make.’