Topic

Data

Data plays a pivotal role in modern transport management, enabling local and regional authorities to make informed decisions, optimise transport systems, and improve services. Data is collected in various forms—historical, real-time, or from third-party providers—and supports functions like traffic and fleet management, real-time travel updates, and influencing travel behaviour.

The landscape of transport data has undergone rapid transformation, driven by the private sector, with entities such as app developers, mobile carriers, and vehicle manufacturers accumulating vast amounts of data. This shift has led to an ongoing debate on data sharing between the public and private sectors, with significant challenges around interoperability, data quality, and privacy.

The rise of open data initiatives by public authorities in the past decade has highlighted the potential value of data for urban mobility. It provides valuable insights into transport network performance and how people and goods move. However, some cities face challenges in managing and fully utilizing this data, necessitating investment in skills and resources for data management.

Moreover, accurate and comprehensive road safety data is crucial for developing effective safety strategies. While European efforts have improved safety data collection, there remains a lack of local urban safety data to benchmark initiatives. POLIS has initiated a European database on urban road safety, encouraging cities to contribute data using a standardised template, thus helping build a more robust framework for urban road safety analysis.


POLIS involvement

POLIS has actively worked on promoting data accessibility, particularly through the Traffic Efficiency Working Group, which explores the role of open data in improving urban transport efficiency.

 



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