The introduction of fleet vehicles enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed by a Herefordshire MP.
To help identify road defects (such as pothoes) in rural areas, North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns has called for the Government to implement AI in council vehicles.
The call was made in a letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, with Dr Chowns revealing that constituents regularly flag the inadequate condition of road surfaces as a key issue. She also highlighted that the existing pothole detecting system is too reactive, resulting in ‘more extensive and costly intervention’.
Highlighting that residents currently bear the burden of reporting problems with local roads, Dr Chowns says that large numbers of potholes are left unnoticed and not addressed until they are bigger dilemmas.
As part of her recommendations, Dr Chowns proposed that cameras should be installed in council vehicles including bin lorries, maintenance vehicles, and street cleaning vehicles. This would serve as a ‘cost and labour-effective’ approach, given that the vehicles are already operating frequently on residential roads, she says.
Dr Chowns argues that the use of AI tools would allow for repair work to be completed earlier before issues escalate, preventing the need for further staffing and dedicated inspection vehicles.
The letter also includes questions to the Government about its intentions to deliver financial or technical assistance or local authorities, as well as querying its plans to consider embracing the broader rollout of AI-enabled road monitoring technologies.
Sign up here to receive our free weekly news bulletin and quarterly e-book.
Photo: © ACatInABox.
Leave a Reply