By Tony Hallett, 24 January 2005 11:45
NEWS There is no "killer idea" that will lessen levels of congestion on UK roads, though IT will be at the heart of improving traffic flow, according to the recently appointed director of information at the Highways Agency (HA).
Dubbed a 'jam buster', 'highways tsar' and 'road info tsar' (this publication's choice), Denise Plumpton has taken up the important reins at the HA after a year as IT director at mobile phone-maker Sendo. But, more significantly, she has in the past also served as head of IT at Powergen and logistics giant TNT, and remains chair of the Corporate IT Forum (TiF).
In an interview with silicon.com, Plumpton said that in her post at TNT she had "been at the other end of the telescope" but that that position stands her in good stead.
"[The two roles] also have a lot in common," she said. "There is the absolute complexity, the need for real-time information and the impact of incorrect or incomplete information."
However, her new role isn't that of head of IT. It is an executive board appointment with a broad remit - though some would say it carries the responsibility most IT director or CIO jobs should.
Plumpton will report into the directorate of the HA, a part of the Department of Transport, and though her unit will contain what most would call the IT department, she will be "contributing to business strategy, looking at how to drive the agency forward" and "looking after what information is put out".
It is her first public sector role, though she points out there are similar responsibilities - her chief executive will report into a government department, which is answerable to taxpayers. In the private sector, she would have similarly had a chief executive who would have answered to a chair, board and shareholders.
Just a few weeks into the role, is there a silver bullet to the UK's road problems?
"We can't just build our way out of the congestion problem," Plumpton said. "I have no killer idea in my head at the moment but we have trials going on [looking at car pooling and toll roads, for example] and we must plan journeys better. I had my eyes wide open ahead of taking the job."
Plumpton will now work on integrating the old ICT team with a small, strategy-focused group and learning from road policies around the world.
Comments
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1. anonymous
I wonder how much the (not yet completed) new network of matrix boards over the UK's motorways and trunk roads has cost. Recently I remember seeing a report on bbc.co.uk that the National Audit Office (or similar) said they were an utter waste of money as they don't tell you anything useful (Queue ahead - Yeh very helpful !!) to help you round conjestion/accidents.
Observational Guess - 1,000 units across the UK.
Educated guess £250,000 each - as they involve significant groundworks for a concrete block to mount the sign unit (overhanging the motorway for some bizzare reason), electrics and data connection, out of hours lane closures to crane into position, regional central control centres.
1,000 x £250,000 ==> £250Million. ??
Unless they are there for more propaganda - Don't Drink and Drive,
Fog (like yeh you can see them !!), Don't hog the middle lane (no-one pays any attention), Fireman's Strike!! - drive extra careful, Vote Labour May '05 :-)
They could have made do with a static sign in a field at a cost of £1,000 each saying 'don't drive like a dickhead !!'.
Highway's Agency also has a nice brand new fleet of Range Rover's and Toyota Amazon's as 'Incident Support Units'. Would a Renault Kangoo van or similar not do, your estate is ON THE HIGHWAY after all, not halfway up a mountain track.
Police could easily easy congestion by hauling accidents off the road and clearing up **ASAP**, rather than shutting 2/3 lanes and doing a CSI style forensic investigation at *every* incident so they can prosecute someone, who will only get fined £50/3 points anyway !!
Recently A34 by Oxford was closed for 17 hours (estimate costing £10 to Oxford economy), A74M by Carlisle for 23 hours.
Our money to BURN........
Buy a Trafficmaster Freeway - Best £79 I ever spent. Get a Road Angel aswell.
2. anonymous
Sorry, police had A34 by Oxford closed for 17 hours, at a reported cost to Oxford economy of £10 million pounds. Typo.
Haul accident crap off the roads and get them opened ASAP!!!!