Highways Voices: Talking Roads and Transport Technology innovation

Paul Hutton
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business News
  • Updated fortnightly

The Highways Voices podcast is a must-listen for professionals in the Highways and Transport Technology industries covering construction, maintenance, Intelligent Transport Systems and Public Transportation. Presented by leading journalists Paul Hutton and Adrian Tatum, you’ll hear industry leaders sharing insights you won’t hear anywhere else, giving you a taste of the latest thinking about the sector's new techniques and technologies, collaborations and innovations. All in the time it takes for an average daily commute (or dog walk!). We bring you keynote-speaker quality guests into your phone or laptop, ensuring every time you listen you’ll learn something new you can use in your day-to-day job. Plus, you'll catch up with the top stories from the daily newsletters sent by Highways-News.com and hear the latest from our podcast partners LCRIG, the TTF, ADEPT and ITS UK.

  1. 2 days ago

    The engineering behind potholes – and an idea to pay for fixing them

    Civil engineer Elizabeth Orchard believes Britain has been looking at the potholes crisis the wrong way – and in this edition of Highways Voices she explains why – and finishes with an interesting idea to fund the solution. Rather than focusing on political arguments over who is to blame, she explores the engineering behind deteriorating roads, from freeze-thaw cycles and aging infrastructure to the impact of changing weather patterns, utility works and decades of underinvestment. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Drawing on her experience as a Chartered Civil Engineer and founder of consultancy Endelevu, in conversation with Paul Hutton, Mrs Orchard tackles some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding road maintenance. She explains why heavier electric vehicles are not the villain many people assume, why simply resurfacing a road often fails to solve the problem, and why maintenance strategies need to be tailored to local conditions rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions. The discussion also examines the pressures facing local authorities, from shrinking engineering teams to the challenge of maintaining thousands of miles of highway with limited resources. Mrs Orchard argues that rebuilding technical expertise within councils could save money in the long term while creating more resilient highway networks. Perhaps the most thought-provoking section comes towards the end of the conversation, when she suggests Britain should stop treating roads as a financial liability and start viewing them as valuable assets capable of generating income through the intelligent use of data. She points to examples from Europe where anonymised vehicle and infrastructure data are already helping to fund maintenance and improve network management. "There are solutions, and there are ways of making money - other people in the rest of the world are already doing it [and] it's time Britain catches up," she explains, arguing that a smarter approach to highway data could transform how roads are maintained for decades to come. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on one of the UK's most talked-about infrastructure challenges. Rather than simply discussing potholes, it explores the engineering, economics and innovation that could provide lasting answers, making it essential listening for anyone interested in the future of Britain's roads. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    25 min

  2. 30 Jun

    Innovation moves from pilot to practice at LCRIG Festival

    This week’s Highways Voices podcast takes you from connected vehicle data that's finally moving beyond endless pilot projects to artificial intelligence that can identify road defects before they become a problem, as we bring you chat from the LCRIG Innovation and Learning Festival, where the latest ideas aren’t just being talked about – they’re being put into practice. Host Paul Hutton catches up with some of the sector's leading thinkers and innovators, including White Willow Consulting’s Andy Graham explaining why connected vehicle technology has reached the point where authorities can simply get on and use it, Nicander’s Sam Brierley demonstrating how AI is transforming highway asset management, and Steve Walton revealing how Via East Midlands is preparing to deliver a huge maintenance programmes. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. There's also a first for the podcast as Paul interviews Luka the robot, while leading industry consultant Neil Levett highlights the technologies that caught his eye around the festival. Anna Blake and Christopher Long from Solar Gates explain how smarter temporary traffic management is reducing costs, cutting carbon and improving safety, and Jordan Cowley looks ahead to the huge opportunities presented by the ITS World Congress Birmingham 2027. It's a programme packed with practical examples of how technology is making highways safer, more efficient and better connected – and why the conversations taking place at events like this are helping to shape the future of our industry. Our guests: Andy Graham, White Willow ConsultingSam Brierley, NicanderLuka, RobotNeil Levett, Levett Business Services chatting with Highways News's Libby McMahonSteve Walton, Via East MidlandsAnna Blake and Christopher Long, Solar GatesJordan Cowley, Transport for West Midlands Also don’t forget to check out the winners of the 2026 DfT Special Recognition Apprentice Awards, as mentioned by Paul in the podcast. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    35 min

  3. 23 Jun

    Collaboration, innovation and funding challenges under the spotlight from the SWARCO User Group

    How can the highways sector deliver innovation faster while navigating tight budgets, procurement hurdles and increasing demands on road networks? That's the question explored in the latest episode of the Highways Voices podcast, recorded at SWARCO's User Group meeting in Coventry last week. Host Paul Hutton is joined by Derek McLean, Head of Product and Solutions at SWARCO, his colleague, SWARCO’s Urban Systems Manager Andrea Newman, Richard Ling, Head of Parking and Traffic Management at Cambridgeshire County Council, and Peter Eccleson, Managing Director of smartmicro UK. Together they discuss how the industry's growing focus on collaboration is helping suppliers, local authorities and technology partners tackle common challenges and deliver better outcomes for road users. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. The panel examines the ongoing difficulties surrounding revenue funding, procurement regulations and asset renewal, while also highlighting opportunities created by emerging technologies. Richard Ling explains how authorities can make the case for investment by focusing on long-term savings, while Peter Eccleson argues that the sector must become quicker at embracing innovations that can improve network management and unlock the value of data. The discussion also explores how suppliers are responding to changing customer expectations. Derek McLean and Andrea Newman describe how SWARCO is working more closely with customers and partners to develop solutions that integrate with existing infrastructure, making it easier for authorities to adopt new technologies without major capital expenditure. Looking ahead, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence, data-driven decision making and the need for an industry-wide approach to innovation. Despite the challenges, all four guests strike an optimistic tone, arguing that stronger collaboration, open communication and a shared focus on solving customer problems are creating plenty of reasons to be positive about the future of highways and traffic management. Listen to the full episode now on Highways Voices. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    31 min

  4. 16 Jun

    Rennicks at 50: Learning about five decades of innovation and resilience

    Road safety and intelligent transport solutions specialist Rennicks is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and this Highways Voices podcast marks the milestone, featuring Rennicks Chairman Michael Flanagan and Director Robert Tait. Mr Flanagan reflects on the company's journey from its origins in Ireland in the mid-1970s to becoming a recognised name in traffic signs, vehicle registration plate systems and intelligent transport technologies. He recounts how founders Robin and Maureen Rennicks identified an opportunity in reflective materials before expanding into traffic signage and eventually the wider road safety market. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. The podcast also explores some of the biggest challenges the company has faced, including a patent dispute that temporarily removed a key product line and threatened a significant proportion of the business. We hear how the setback forced Rennicks to diversify and innovate, helping lay the foundations for future growth. Looking to the future, Mr Tait discusses the growing role of intelligent transport systems, connected vehicle technologies and data-driven solutions. He highlights the opportunities presented by the government's RIS3 investment programme and the move towards digitally enabled road networks, while explaining how Rennicks is developing technology-led products to meet emerging customer needs. Throughout the discussion, Mr Flanagan returns to the themes that have underpinned Rennicks' success over the past five decades: putting customers first, investing in people and maintaining the agility to adapt to changing markets. As the company looks ahead to its next chapter, the podcast provides a fascinating insight into the growth of one of the UK's longest-established road safety businesses. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    45 min

  5. 9 Jun

    Starling Technologies: A candid post-mortem on innovation in transport

    What happens when you have the right idea at the right time… but still fail? In this thought-provoking episode of Highways Voices, Paul Hutton sits down with Andrew Caleya Chetty, founder of Starling Technologies, for a candid conversation about innovation, ambition, and the harsh realities of bringing new technology into the transport sector. Less than two years ago, Starling Technologies was generating excitement with its vision for smarter, more responsive traffic management. The company appeared perfectly positioned to help local authorities harness the power of AI and machine learning to improve network performance. Yet despite strong interest in the technology and a clear market need, the business ultimately closed its doors. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. So, what went wrong? Andrew shares the deeply personal story behind Starling’s rise and fall, revealing why success in the intelligent transport sector requires far more than great technology. He discusses the challenges of lengthy procurement cycles, delayed project delivery, uncertain funding streams, and the difficulties of sustaining a start-up while waiting for opportunities to convert into contracts. But this is about much more than one company’s story. The conversation explores the wider barriers facing innovation across transport and asks some difficult questions. If the industry wants to benefit from rapid advances in AI, data analytics and digital services, are current procurement and funding models fit for purpose? How can local authorities and suppliers work together to create an environment where innovators can thrive rather than struggle to survive? Despite the disappointment, Andrew remains remarkably optimistic about the future and passionate about creating better, more efficient cities through technology. Whether you're a local authority leader, technology supplier, consultant or anyone interested in the future of transport innovation, this episode offers valuable lessons, honest reflections and important insights into how the sector can avoid losing the next generation of game-changing ideas. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    34 min

  6. 2 Jun

    Beyond EVs: Practical ways for highways authorities to cut carbon thanks to lessons from Live Labs 2

    ADEPT’s Live Labs 2 programme has spent the last three years tackling one of highways’ biggest challenges: how do you decarbonise roads, street lighting and maintenance without increasing risk, blowing budgets or frightening local authorities away from innovation? That’s the subject of this week’s Highways Voices podcast, where ADEPT’s Giles Perkins gives an unusually candid insight into how the sector is trying to move from climate ambition to practical delivery. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. The conversation goes well beyond the standard “net zero” conversation. Mr Perkins explains that while the industry has focused heavily on reducing tailpipe emissions, Live Labs 2 is looking at “everything else” - the carbon generated by the infrastructure itself, from pothole repairs and asphalt production to verge maintenance, lighting and procurement processes. One of the most insightful parts of the discussion centres on risk. Mr Perkins describes how many local authorities are reluctant to be first movers because of fears around liability, standards and unintended consequences. Host Paul Hutton recalls conversations around East Riding of Yorkshire’s street lighting trials where officers worried that removing lighting, even with alternative safety measures in place, could expose them to criticism or even coroners’ investigations after collisions. The podcast explores how Live Labs 2 is trying to “de-risk” innovation by generating evidence authorities can trust. Projects discussed include low-carbon asphalt trials, carbon-negative road upgrades in Devon, Liverpool’s work on procurement reform, and experiments turning highways grass cuttings into biofuels. We also learn why the programme’s newly funded fourth year is perhaps the most important phase yet. Rather than building more demonstrators, the focus is now on dissemination: helping councils, contractors and suppliers understand what has worked and how it can be scaled nationwide. For example, applying some of the East Riding street lighting principles nationally could save around 100,000 tonnes of carbon and cut £1 billion from public spending. For anyone working in highways, local government, infrastructure innovation or transport policy, this episode provides a rare opportunity to hear how the sector is attempting to turn sustainability from isolated pilots into “business as usual”. It is also a revealing look at the cultural, procurement and behavioural barriers that still stand in the way of faster change. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    28 min

  7. 26 May

    Vision Zero or Vision Wishful Thinking? Actually making our roads safer with Jamie Hassall of PACTS

    This week on Highways Voices, we tackle one of the most important issues facing transport professionals today: road safety. To discuss whether the industry is truly serious about Vision Zero, we’re joined by Jamie Hassall, Executive Director of PACTS, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, who delivers a frank and thought-provoking challenge to many of the assumptions drivers, policymakers and even transport professionals hold about safety on the road network. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. In the conversation, he argues that Britain’s national speed limit system is outdated, particularly on rural roads, and explains why “safe speed” is often very different from the number shown on a sign. The conversation explores the backlash against 20mph limits, why compliance with speed limits remains so poor, and whether technologies like Intelligent Speed Assistance, telematics and autonomous vehicles could fundamentally change driver behaviour. We also discuss why road safety investment still struggles to secure funding despite crashes – including many which are preventable - costing the UK economy billions each year, and whether organisations that repeatedly claim “safety is our number one priority” are genuinely backing those words with meaningful action. Perhaps most importantly, Jamie Hassall makes the case for a major focus on work-related road safety, arguing that fleet operators and employers could play a transformative role in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads. This is a conversation guaranteed to spark debate across the highways and transport technology sector. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    26 min

  8. 19 May

    Odometer readings or smarter tracking? The options for EV road pricing

    As the Government prepares to introduce a new pay-per-mile charging scheme for electric vehicles from 2028, the debate is heating up and you’ll hear the latest thinking on today’s Highways Voices. In this recorded inside the Houses of Parliament, industry leaders, campaign groups, technology experts and motoring representatives come together to tackle one of the biggest questions facing the future of transport funding: how do we replace fuel duty in an electric future, and can it be done fairly and effectively? Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. With warnings of a £27 billion hole in Treasury finances as drivers move away from petrol and diesel, supporters argue EV road charging is inevitable. But concerns remain around privacy, public trust, fairness for drivers without home charging, and whether the technology, and politics, are ready. This episode explores: Why EV road charging is now firmly on the political agendaWhy simple odometer charging is not necessarily enough, or if smarter location-based systems are neededThe lessons the UK can learn from countries already operating road user chargingFears around a lower EV uptakeConcerns around driver privacy, public acceptance and implementation timescalesWhy the real challenge isn’t technology, but political courage You’ll hear passionate arguments from across the sector, including advocates for smarter road pricing, warnings from EV drivers themselves, and hard-earned lessons from those who’ve delivered complex charging systems before. Whether you work in highways, transport policy, mobility technology or simply want to understand how the UK pays for roads in a post-fuel-duty future, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Listen now and join the debate on the future of road charging in the UK. You’ll hear from: Ben Plowden – CEO, Campaign for Better TransportSilviya Barrett - Director of Strategy and Research, Campaign for Better TransportTim Wray – UK & Ireland Sales Director. KapschMax Sugarman – Chief Executive, Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS-UK)Richard Sallnow – Associate, PA ConsultingVicky Edmonds – CEO, EVA EnglandSteve Gooding, RAC Foundation, Director Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    35 min
See All (200)

Ratings & Reviews

About

The Highways Voices podcast is a must-listen for professionals in the Highways and Transport Technology industries covering construction, maintenance, Intelligent Transport Systems and Public Transportation. Presented by leading journalists Paul Hutton and Adrian Tatum, you’ll hear industry leaders sharing insights you won’t hear anywhere else, giving you a taste of the latest thinking about the sector's new techniques and technologies, collaborations and innovations. All in the time it takes for an average daily commute (or dog walk!). We bring you keynote-speaker quality guests into your phone or laptop, ensuring every time you listen you’ll learn something new you can use in your day-to-day job. Plus, you'll catch up with the top stories from the daily newsletters sent by Highways-News.com and hear the latest from our podcast partners LCRIG, the TTF, ADEPT and ITS UK.

Information