A guide to best practice for local authorities procuring transport systems and innovative technology was launched yesterday (3 March) at the 2021 Transport Technology Forum conference.
This year’s three-day online event is entitled “Facing Up to the Transport Challenge in 2021”. Delegates who attended the event yesterday heard how the guide has been drawn on experience across a number of local authorities, detailing “Six Pillars of Procurement.”
“We see this guidance as a key resource in help local authorities plan procurements of new and innovative technology,” explained report author Mark Morris from Arup. “The guidance explains the various routes to market that are available and uses the wide range of experience Arup has in this field. It is also supported by DfT and the Crown Commercial Service.”
The procurement guidance was launched yesterday following a morning keynote session where attendees heard from the Department for Transport’s Head of Traffic and Technology Anthony Ferguson and TTF Chair Steve Gooding of the RAC Foundation. The Chief Executive of the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) – Martin Duffy – also contributed to a discussion on procurement.
The procurement guidance can be viewed here.
The TTF Conference also includes specific sessions on Thursday from Innovate UK on “Innovation working with SMEs/LAs”; “the benefits of sharing data” and “the benefits of collaboration”, while London Councils will detail the benefits of sharing data. On Friday there will be a session on The New Shape of Traffic and a panel debate entitled “challenge the future”.
This year’s TTF evening social event has been moved online too, with a light-hearted radio-style discussion programme nicknamed “TTFM” being streamed live from 7-8 pm on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings featuring reflections on the conference plus special guests including former Transport Ministers Steve Norris and Steven Ladyman, and pioneering transport technology journalist Michael Rodd. These will be streamed on the Highways News website here.