The combination of technologies will bring about the most significant change in road transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine. The LGA has therefore stressed that it is important for local authorities to join in the conversation about this transition.
The LGA paper, entitled ‘Clean, connected and in-control: What tomorrow’s transport technology could mean for councils’, will examine developments the UK can expect in the near future. This will include information on how innovative councils are getting involved in trials and the issues that all councils will need to address in the future. It is also a call for engagement from different groups with an involvement in the area to feed in ideas and help better understand the potential of future transport technologies.
The role of local government will be pivotal in shaping how this technology fits and develops in our communities and decisions taken now could have a profound impact on the future.
“Local government needs to be active in the conversation about the future of transport technology” said Cllr Martin Tett, LGAs Transport spokesman. “If we are able to work in partnership with business, manufacturers and regulators, this technology could be harnessed to solve some of the most complex issues that we face. From a local leadership perspective, the potential for public good from this technological revolution is significant, but the opportunities need to be grasped and challenges overcome”.
Mr Tett added that decisions taken now could have profound impacts on the shape of our communities and that the role of local leaders is to reflect on how technological trends could affect their area and how these developments could be harnessed to solve other problems. The LGA hopes that the guide will serve as a useful primer to get local politicians and senior officers thinking about the impact on their area.
Image: Local Government Association (LGA)
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