Mobility is a wide sector, embracing Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure, Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs), Mobility as a Service, electric vehicle technology and integrated transport systems. Technology-rich, data-driven and fast-paced, the sector is set to transform society. Yet, there are challenges that could potentially thwart progress.
According to Amey, there is a lack of joined up public policy from central Government despite rapid progress in the technologies underpinning mobility. There is uncertainty in the private sector about its role in investing in mobility. The potential of mobility technologies to exclude people who are less affluent, or technology-savvy must not be ignored. Innovators including SMEs need to be able to trial technologies in a safe environment and the UK needs people with the right skills, knowledge and expertise to deliver a mobility-enabled UK.
“We are at the cusp of a new era in public mobility infrastructure” said Asif Ghafoor, Managing Director, Amey Investments. “The challenges ahead are daunting but the potential for good infrastructure to tackle the climate emergency, create social value and support technology-rich SMEs and social enterprises has never been greater. No one has all the answers, so the public and private sectors need to work together to solve the big challenges posed by 21st century mobility needs.”
Amongst several proposed actions, Amey Investments calls for:
Clear public policy on mobility from central government but with local and city authorities allowed to shape their mobility strategies according to their own cities’ and towns’ needs.
Clear revenue models for investors to be developed that also work for local authorities.
Commitment by decision-makers that any technology-rich infrastructure must not exclude people from society based on their location, income, age or physical or mental abilities.
Acknowledgement of the significant value that mobility data holds and therefore the need to protect it and make it available on a commercial basis only.
Commitment in the private sector to attract and retain the people with the skills and ideas to maintain the mobility revolution.
Mr Asif added that the reward to individuals, to businesses, to people delivering public services and to all of society for getting a data and technology-driven mobility sector working well is immense and that everyone wants less less congested towns and cities, clean, healthy air and more sustainable means of getting about.
“All this is within our grasp, yet we risk it all if action isn’t taken now to tackle head on the pressing challenges faced” Mr Asif said.
The Mobility White Paper is the first in Amey’s thinking around future technology challenges. It is part of a series of five papers to be published over the coming months and follows a programme of work launched earlier in 2019 by Amey Investments to explore A Better Future for the UK’s infrastructure. The paper is designed to stimulate thinking, discussion and, ultimately, prompt actions across the public and private sectors and stakeholders operating in the infrastructure market.
The next white paper from Amey Investments looks at the energy sector and more specifically, how local heat networks infrastructure can play a significant role in achieving national carbon reduction targets. This will be launched in early 2020.
The mobility white paper findings and recommendations come from a roundtable discussion, led by Asif Ghafoor and his team and working with Partnerships Bulletin, that took place on 9th July 2019. The event was attended by participants from across the public and private sectors:
Darryl Murphy, Head of Infrastructure Debt, Aviva
Miranda Sharp, Director of Innovation, Ordnance Survey
Rapahel Ani, Head of Intelligent Mobility Accelerator, Wayra
Alex Harrison, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Charles Johnson-Ferguson, Partner, PWC
Llewelyn Morgan, Head of Innovation, Oxfordshire
David Lutton, Director of Connectivity and Competitiveness, London First
Alex Jan, Director, Arup
Matthew Vickerstaff, Deputy CEO & Head of Finance, Infrastructure and Projects Authority
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