The Department for Transport’s Head of Road Infrastructure Technology has reiterated his belief that the highways sector needs a “WhatsApp moment” for connected vehicle services, as he urged authorities and industry to work together on common standards and interoperable services.
Speaking at the Traffex event in Coventry, Darren Capes said road users increasingly expect journeys to work seamlessly across regional boundaries, regardless of who owns or manages the network.
“Users want roads that work across regions,” he said, arguing that the sector must focus first on the services drivers actually need before deciding how the underlying technology should operate.
Mr Capes, who also leads the DfT’s Transport Technology Forum, outlined the Department’s emerging Connected Vehicle Services (CVS) Framework, which aims to ensure transport data is made available through open standards and in formats that are fair and accessible to all providers.
He said motorists are already using connected services daily, but the challenge for highways authorities is ensuring consistency and interoperability between systems and regions.
Mr Capes cited the example of WhatsApp to explain the principle that “services for road users should look and feel the same, irrespective of the technology they are used on – that is a universally accepted way for systems and users to communicate regardless of platform”.
His speech focused heavily on the need for common definitions and standards around what connected vehicle services should be available and how they are delivered.
A key challenge, he explained, is translating road regulations and traffic management information into formats that can be understood directly by vehicles. That includes integrating TSRGD standards into digital vehicle-readable systems and ensuring data can be interpreted consistently across manufacturers and networks.
Mr Capes pointed to the growing use of speed limit information appearing directly within vehicles, alongside developments such as the National Parking Platform, as examples of how regulation and road information are beginning to move into connected environments.
The DfT’s CVS work also considers both Infrastructure-to-Vehicle (I2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications, although Capes stressed that technology should follow user need rather than drive it.
“The first stage is determining what services users actually want and then identifying the best ways to access and exchange that data,” he explained.
The DfT has already begun consulting on the CVS framework and Capes confirmed further engagement and consultation activity will continue over the summer.
The speech built on themes Mr Capes has raised in recent months around moving connected vehicle services “from concept to road” and creating nationally consistent approaches to data sharing and digital road infrastructure.
At previous industry events, he has argued that transport data is an under-used national asset and that open standards will be critical if connected services are to scale effectively across the UK road network.
(Image – Libby McMahon)