Technology firm plans to cut London’s traffic chaos

A VEHICLE-tracking company is in talks with London’s transport bosses to use its groundbreaking technology to combat the capital’s parking problems.

South-Tyneside-based FleetM8 is working with software specialists DLAB to create ‘virtual loading bays’ which allow commercial vehicles to deliver goods using a system similar to the way air traffic controllers manage flights in and out of airports.

The collaboration only came about after FleetM8’s operation’s director, Neil Herron, met one of DLAB’s developers, Dan Riley, at an investment conference held by networking organisation CONNECT North East in April.

FleetM8 was showcasing its innovative GPS tracking technology – which can trace the current and historic location of any vehicle.

Now the firm is in talks with Transport for London, City of Westminster Council, the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS) and Freight Transport Association (FTA) to commercialise the concept to reduce traffic chaos in the capital.

Neil Herron said: “It’s literally every man for himself competing for kerb space in the capital. We can create virtual loading bays in locations where loading and unloading is severely restricted.
“The bays can be time and traffic flow dependent and rolled out over the whole of London with commercial deliveries managed via a booking process.

“It means Transport for London can manage kerb space and the FTA’s members can cut back on the £500m worth of parking tickets they receive each year – and the £100m in administration costs in dealing with them.

“Meeting Dan Riley of DLAB was just one exciting opportunity that came as a result of the CONNECT North East investment conference and, thanks to that event, we’re working on several other developments.”

North East inventor Dr Phillip Tann and motorist campaigner Mr Herron launched FleetM8 on the back of Dr Tann’s GPS vehicle tracking system. As well as location, the system can be used to track a vehicle’s speed, fuel efficiency and driver behaviour.

CONNECT North East is now holding several events to help young technology companies attract the funding they need to grow. Caroline Theobald, managing director of The Bridge Club Ltd, which manages the CONNECT North East project, said: “The conference was about more than simply investment – it was a place to meet the right people to develop ideas, projects and contacts for the future as FleetM8 has shown.

“Their technology has the chance to revolutionise the way that commercial vehicles access London. It is a sound example of the type of innovative companies we have in the North East which are impacting hugely on the way we live.”

Dan Riley of DLAB, which is based at the Institute of Digital Innovation at the University of Teesside, said: “The CONNECT North East investment conference proved to be a great networking event for us and our partnership with FleetM8 is going from strength to strength.”