The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £37,000 for each traffic authority to support the move to Digital Traffic Regulation Orders (D-TROs).
The funding, which totals roughly £5.9m, will be used by the authorities to either acquire or update a D-TRO management system so it can comply with the requirement to submit new TROs and TTROs digitally - an agenda first announced on 15 January 2024.
The DfT stated that the digital requirement is expected to come into effect in 2027, with authorities expected to receive at least 12 weeks' notice before this happens.
The cash injection was announced during a DfT webinar on 24 September, which marked a year of the D-TRO public trial.
Highways understands authorities can expect to receive their share of the funding in ‘mid-October'.
Simon Morgan, a consultant for Causeway Technologies, said that while £37,000 is ‘not an enormous sum,' it is still ‘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.'
Stuart Marshall, director of growth at Symology, commented: ‘This funding sends a clear signal: D-TROs are coming, and the authorities that start preparing now will be best placed to benefit.
‘That's a lot of authorities that may need supplier support. My advice? Don't wait until the money hits the budget and gets absorbed into competing priorities. Start the conversation now.
‘It's no longer about getting ahead of the curve. Just make sure you aren't behind it.'
