The Challenge

Like many towns Newark had a traffic congestion problem, which wasn’t only affecting people’s journeys but was also having an impact on local businesses. The Newark and Sherwood District Council needed a solution and the first step was to get the evidence needed to make a case to the County Council and the Highways Agency.

The Solution

This is where Smart Steps from O2 was able to help. Using anonymised aggregated data from millions of mobile phones, within weeks, Smart Steps delivered detailed information about the movement patterns of vehicles and the profiles of drivers. Thanks to these unique insights, Newark councillors had a compelling case to make, leading to setting a timetable for improving the local transport network.

The Results

• The Council had all the evidence they needed within weeks
• Detailed insights included where the traffic was coming from, where it was going, when it was at its peak and when it was quiet
• Profiling analysis showed revealed the demographic profile of road users
• Provided evidence to make a case to the County Council and the Highways Agency
• Led to a timetable being set to solve the traffic problem