South Tyneside firm is keeping track of city's parking problems

Oct 15 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

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 came about after FleetM8’s technical 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.

Mr Herron said: “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 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.”

North East inventor Dr Phillip Tann and business 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.

The technology has already been trialled on buses in India as part of a £17m government transport project and has been used in London’s pub trade to help stop beer delivery drivers getting parking tickets.

The technology has been backed by £60,000 from Newcastle-based North Star Equity Investors.