The Department for Transport has helped to provide £8m for three projects exploring how IT can be used to improve the UK's transport system.
The department has made the awards in co-operation with the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under the Future Intelligent Transport Systems initiative (Fits).
The projects will involve British companies working collaboratively with academic institutions and network operators, with the aim of delivering better transport services while reducing negative environmental impacts.
Transport minister Rosie Winterton said: "We know we cannot simply build our way out of congestion. We are committed to exploring innovative ways of getting more from the existing transport network and so I am delighted to announce the successful projects of the Fits programme.
"These three projects will help us to continue to provide a transport system that balances the needs of the economy, the environment and society," said Winterton.
One of the projects is Freeflow, which is based in London and York and aims to improve the use of transport data using tools already used outside the transport community, such as military "situation-awareness" technology. Use of such technology could, for example, help drivers to avoid congestion and network managers to reduce it.
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Another project is Foot-Lite, which aims to develop products that give drivers information — for example, via an in-vehicle display system — to help them to drive in a way that is safer, cuts congestion and reduces emissions.
The third is the User Innovation project, which will investigate how transport users are already employing existing forms of IT to enhance transport systems, such as workers using email to organise and manage car-sharing clubs. It is aimed at identifying, developing and exploiting new opportunities for existing technologies and services.
