Government gets moving on urban mobility services

19 Mar 2019 02:12 PM

The Department for Transport has today published an Urban Mobility Strategy.

The Government today announced; the benefits that it wants to see from innovative new mobility services, the principles that it will judge these services against, an ambitious regulatory review and a programme of funding to help spur them in its Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy. The Strategy echoes many of the issues that techUK raised in its Future Mobility Services in October.

The Principles that the Government has outlined are;

1. New modes of transport and new mobility services must be safe and secure by design.
2. The benefits of innovation in mobility must be available to all parts of the UK and all segments of society.
3. Walking, cycling and active travel must remain the best options for short urban journeys.
4. Mass transit must remain fundamental to an efficient transport system.
5. New mobility services must lead the transition to zero emissions.
6. Mobility innovation must help to reduce congestion through more efficient use of limited road space, for example through sharing rides, increasing occupancy or consolidating freight.
7. The marketplace for mobility must be open to stimulate innovation and give the best deal to consumers.
8. New mobility services must be designed to operate as part of an integrated transport system combining public, private and multiple modes for transport users.
9. Data from new mobility services must be shared where appropriate to improve choice and the operation of the transport system.

Alongside these Principles, the Government also launched a regulatory review into micromobility vehicles, and how to trial them, Mobility as a Service, transport data and modernising bus, taxis and private hire vehicles legislation. It further announced funding streams under the Mobility Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge with a £90m competition to deliver Future Mobility Zones.

Matthew Evans, techUK’s Director of Market Programmes said 

“The Government correctly identifies the unprecedented disruption facing the mobility sector in the UK, and critically the role that it plays shaping these future services. In setting out these principles it offers assurances to innovators and established operators on what is permissible and identify where regulatory changes will be needed. Taken together, the strategy and accompanying funding announcements will help ensure that the UK is in pole position for shaping and benefiting from future mobility services.”