Highways Voices: Talking Roads and Transport Technology innovation

Are potholes just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the real issues facing our roads? If you're in the business of managing, maintaining, or modernising highways, you already know that reactive repairs are expensive, inefficient, and deeply unpopular. In this episode of Highways Voices , Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood lays out how government and industry must work together to shif...

We discuss how to drive better value from the highway maintenance funding on this week's Highways Voices, with Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the RSTA. "Our approach to road maintenance isn't working," he says, as he asks are we truly making the most of our funding, or are we stuck in an inefficient cycle of reactive repairs? S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts, &nbs...

What is one of the highway industry’s toughest challenges that is very difficult to solve and hardly talked about? This week on Highways Voices we delve into the issue of road runoff pollution with Keyline. S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts,   Spotify ,  Amazon Music ,  Google Podcasts   or  Pocket Casts   and never miss an episode! Did you kn...

"The company has a renewed lease of life, we can look forward to more activity, more impact, growth and a thriving and secure business for the employees in the business." TRL's CEO Paul Campion's explanation of a major investment in the UK’s transport research and innovation pioneer by Blandford Capital which he says for clients "and, with the risk of sounding a bit a little bit up ourselves...

Ever wondered what it is like to start a business in the highways and transport sector and nearly fail several times before making a success of it? That is exactly what we will be talking about in today’s Highways Voices podcast, which see the launch of a new series-Highways Business. This series will explain the highs and lows, the profits, the losses and successes and failures of running a compa...

How do engineers manage complex overnight tunnel maintenance and infrastructure upgrade projects while ensuring roads are operational by morning? For decision makers in the highway industry, tunnel maintenance presents unique challenges — limited access, strict timelines, and evolving technological demands. In this episode, we dive into the intricate world of tunnel operations with Chris Mayo, Con...

What happens when the people making the decisions about transport policy don’t have the power to act on the issues that matter most to road users? From potholes to smart motorways and the future of road user charging, former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling joins us on this week's Highways Voices to share insider insights on the challenges of governing the UK's transport network. This episode ex...

Are cars destined to fade away, or are they turning into something even more essential to our lives and identity, and can we balance our love for cars with the pressing need to reimagine transportation systems for health, climate, and cost-of-living challenges? Today, Richard Hammond, famous for his years of motor journalism on Top Gear and then the Grand Tour, and Active Travel England commission...

How can the highways industry overcome challenges like resource shortages, outdated infrastructure, and fragmented data systems to create a smarter, more efficient future of mobility? This week's Highways Voices discusses these issues in a special panel discussion from the SWARCO User Group. S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts,   Spotify ,  Amazon Music ,  Goo...

Are we designing transport systems that truly serve human needs, or are we stuck in outdated metrics of speed and efficiency? Two leading behavioural scientists, Rory Sutherland and Pete Dyson discuss their book Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet on this week's Highways Voices. S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts,   Spotify ,  Amazon Music ,  Google...

As decision-makers in the highway and travel technology sectors face mounting pressure to innovate sustainable transport options, this week's episode of Highways Voices dives into the rise of electric scooters, exploring whether they truly align with safety, environmental, and efficiency goals—or if they’re adding to the chaos. Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens really doesn't think so, and t...

Today on Highways the legendary TV technology journalist Michael Rodd shares memories of his time on flagship BBC TV show Tomorrow's World, as he remembers the early technology innovations that paved the way for what we take for granted in the 2020s. This episode dives into the fascinating evolution of technology in transport technology and highways, from a quirky cassette-based navigation solutio...

Merry Christmas from Highways Voices. A little extra podcast for you today. After the popularity of the recent bloopers podcast showcasing when things go wrong, we thought we'd delve into the archives of the mistakes from our first year of publishing weekly shows. We get the bloke who turns into a dalek, plus a lot of Paul and Adrian just being incapable of speaking properly. Enjoy, and catch you...

What if you could dramatically improve travel experiences and reduce traffic issues without spending billions on new infrastructure? In this episode of Highways Voices, we revisit a chat with behavioural scientist Rory Sutherland, author of the book Transport for Humans - Are We Nearly There Yet, exploring how psychology and better information, and not just engineering, can solve key challenges in...

Today on Highways Voices you get to hear some of the bits we edited out of our podcasts through the year. S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts,   Spotify ,  Amazon Music ,  Google Podcasts   or  Pocket Casts   and never miss an episode! You'll hear when things don't quite go right - from strange noises to coughing, mispronunciations to brain fade...

Today on Highways Voices you will discover why self-enforcement plays a vital role in the battle for better road safety. We hear from the founder of Alcosense, Hunter Abbott, who explains why, even when you’re under the alcohol limit, if you’ve had any drink at all you’re many times more likely to be in a crash. S ubscribe to Highways Voices free on  Apple Podcasts,   Spotify ,  Ama...

In this episode of Highways Voices we hear from Sean Rooney, Head of Service in Highways Maintenance at Oxfordshire County Council and President of the Local Government Technical Advisers Group. You will discover what he is doing during his year in the post, and why a year might not be long enough, plus hear about opportunities from the Innovation Fund, his ideas on strengthening collaboration wit...

In this episode of Highways Voices you will discover a lot about the most influential Intelligent Transport industry associations in Europe, how their working together helps the industry, about a legacy from a major international congress, connected ITS installations and why the UK is leading the way in supporting the next generation of industry professionals. This special Highways Voices comes fr...

The CEO of the European Intelligent Transport Systems organisation ERTICO, Joost Vantomme is our guest on Highways Voices this week, sharing his vast knowledge with you about standardisation, interoperability and living outside silos. He chats with host Paul Hutton about how ERTICO’s ITS European and World Congresses promote thought leadership and innovation around things like automation, clean mo...

Take a trip around a British traffic technology manufacturing plant in today’s Highways Voices and learn about the value of a highly ordered site, workforce flexibility and traceability. Paul Hutton heads to AGD Systems and is given a guided tour of the facility by AGD Director Ian Hind who explains how the company has grown thanks to a sense of teamwork and through workforce flexibility. S ubscri...

This week on Highways Voices we hear from a self-made millionaire who has invested in, and it becomes clear as he talks, truly believes in a leading SME in our industry, giving you an insight into what someone looks for when choosing to invest their money. Our guest Sir John Madejski made his money with Auto Trader magazine and owned Reading Football Club, twice taking them to the Premier League....

Find out about how networking at an event like Highways UK can spawn products nobody's thought of, how new innovation was showcased at the event, how taxpayers' money has delivered significant benefits for road users in Rotherham and how surface treatments are an under-used solution in the UK - all on the bonus Highways Voices podcast from Highways UK. These programmes are brought to you thanks to...

You'll get advice from a business leader on how to deal with fluctuating demand today on Highways Voices, as our third podcast from Highways UK talks digital construction techniques from Austria, and a new partnership involving TRL that could have major benefits on local and strategic roads. These programmes are brought to you thanks to the support of  AGD and Traffic Group Signals ,  Q...

This is the podcast for you if you're at Highways UK and want to hear a bit of behind the scenes chat about what you might have missed, or if you're unable to make it to Birmingham's NEC but want to feel like you're here. Paul Hutton and Adrian Tatum are your trusted guides to the event where you'll hear from National Highways CEO Nick Harris about RIS3, funding and planning and how he's coped wit...

Whether you're at Highways UK at Birmingham's NEC over the next couple of days, or wanting to get a feel of the event from afar, Highways Voices is your place to come for the best in chat from the UK's biggest Highways and Transport Show. As the stand builders finish putting together the exhibition, you'll get a sneak guide to some cutting edge innovation, hear us examine the chicken and egg natur...