The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated around £5.9m to help traffic authorities prepare for the transition to Digital Traffic Regulation Orders (D-TROs).
Each authority will receive £37,000 to acquire or update a D-TRO management system. The funding is intended to support compliance with a requirement for new traffic regulation orders (TROs) and temporary traffic regulation orders (TTROs) to be submitted digitally.
Requirement expected in 2027
The DfT announced the digital submission agenda on 15 January 2024. It said the requirement is expected to take effect in 2027, with authorities due to receive at least 12 weeks’ notice before implementation.
The funding was announced during a DfT webinar on 24 September, marking a year since the D-TRO public trial began. Authorities are expected to receive their allocations in mid-October.
Simon Morgan, a consultant at Causeway Technologies, said the £37,000 was “not an enormous sum” but would still be “useful to help acquire or update a D-TRO management system”.
He added: “It’s time for action, as the statutory instrument requiring data to be supplied to DfT for each new traffic order in England could be as soon as February 2027.”
Suppliers urge early preparation
Stuart Marshall, director of growth at Symology, said the funding showed that D-TROs were moving ahead and that authorities should begin preparing immediately.
“That’s a lot of authorities that may need supplier support,” he said. “My advice? Don’t wait until the money hits the budget and gets absorbed into competing priorities. Start the conversation now.”
Marshall added: “It’s no longer about getting ahead of the curve. Just make sure you aren’t behind it.”