International law firm Trowers & Hamlins has advised Transport for West Midlands on a revolutionary project involving how 5G connected sensors can be used to manage congestion on some of the West Midlands busiest roads.
In partnership with West Midlands 5G and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) the project targets congestion hot-spots affecting drivers and bus passengers on a set of roads which carries over 50% of all traffic within the region. The Road Sensor Network project will enable TfWM and the West Midlands Councils to develop improved traffic models and gain more insight on changes in travel behaviour as the region comes out of lockdown.
The new Road Sensor Network will also deploy environmental sensors to gain greater insight into noise levels, CO and CO2 counts, as well as weather and humidity data. This information will support TfWM and the West Midlands Councils in meeting air quality objectives and help reduce the regions emissions footprint.
Trowers advised on the funding, state aid, procurement and contractual aspects of the project, which included the use of the ACA Standard Form of Contract for Project Partnering, PPC 2000. PPC 2000 is a construction contract based on alliancing principles, in particular early contractor involvement during the pre-construction period.
Due to the innovative nature of this project, TfWM wanted a joined up approach to the whole procurement and delivery process, which made the two stage PPC2000 form of contract ideal due to its focus on design and technology development, transparency of pricing and use of the Core Group to build the team working ethos.
The procurement, funding and state aid advice was led by Amardeep Gill and Matt Whelan in the corporate commercial team whilst the PPC 2000 drafting and contract negotiations was led by Katie Saunders and John Garland in the projects and construction team.
Public sector partner Amardeep Gill commented:
"We are pleased to have advised Transport for West Midlands and West Midlands 5G on the implementation of the UK's first 5G connected Road Sensor Network. The project will not only decrease congestion but also make the regions roads greener, which in turn will have numerous benefits for local residents and businesses."
