Developments in the United Kingdom road transport from a smart cities perspective
Abstract
Purpose: Smart city is a city which functions in a sustainable and intelligent way, by integrating all of its infrastructures and services in a cohesive way using intelligent devices for monitoring and control, to ensure efficiency and better quality of life for its citizens. As other countries globally, UK is keen for economic development and investment in smart city missions to create interest in monetary environment and inward investment. This paper explores the driving forces of smart road transport transformation and implementation in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved interviews with sixteen professionals from the UK road transport sector. A semi-structured interview technique was used to collect experts’ perception, which was then examined using content analysis. Findings: The results of the study revealed that the technological advancement is a key driver. The main challenges faced for the implementation of smart city elements in the UK road network are: lack of investment; maintenance; state of readiness and the awareness of the smart road transport concept. The study concludes that an understanding of the concept of smart cities from a road transport perspective is very important to create awareness of the benefits and the way it works. A wider collaboration between every sector is crucial to create a successful smart city. Originality/value: The study contributes to the field of digitalisation of road transport sector. This paper reveals the key driving forces of smart road transport transformation, the current status of smart road transport implementation in UK and challenges of the smart road transport development in the UK.Citation
Suresh, S., Renukappa, S and Jallow, H. (2021) Developments in the United Kingdom road transport from a smart cities perspective, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28 (4), pp. 845-862. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-12-2019-0687Publisher
EmeraldJournal
Engineering, Construction and Architectural ManagementType
Journal articleLanguage
enDescription
This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management on 14/07/2020. The published version can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-12-2019-0687 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.ISSN
0969-9988ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1108/ECAM-12-2019-0687
Scopus Count
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/