Tag Archives: Scotland

Councils use technology to keep residents on the move

As forecasters predict plummeting temperatures across Scotland, three Scottish local authorities have opened up data to technology companies to improve services for commuters and councils services to help keep citizens on the move and local services functioning.

Glasgow City Council, along with a collaboration between Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils, received funding from independent innovation foundation, Nesta, to work with technology partners to open up data they hold to improve travel in poor weather.

Glasgow City Council in partnership with IRISS, has developed Glasgow Gritting which uses real-time data from the authority’s gritting vehicles to show local citizens which streets have already been gritted and are safer to use. It also shows the routes gritting vehicles are taking. This will not only help ordinary citizens to plan their journeys, but will also help other Council services to plan their work to ensure vulnerable people can still be reached and helped.

In the north-east of Scotland, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils have joined forces with technology company Swirrl to develop Smart Journey. This web and mobile app service shows all current traffic problems in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas as well as any reports of ice, snow or other weather issues affecting the roads.

Commuters are being asked to provide feedback to Smart Journey through the mobile-enabled website or Android or iPhone App.

A key feature of both projects is to allow local people to contribute to make the information presented more accurate. In addition, all of the code for these applications will be made publicly available so that Councils from across Scotland and beyond can develop their own, similar, digital services.

In Glasgow this could mean local people requesting additional gritting of an area where one treatment may not have been enough or highlighting additional poor conditions in other areas, helping the Council’s roads team to prioritise its future work schedule.

Jackie McKenzie, Head of Nesta’s Innovation Programmes in Scotland said:- “We all know that when cold weather strikes, councils are under enormous pressure to keep towns and cities moving, helping people get to work and reaching the most vulnerable in society.

“The fantastic work being done by Glasgow, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils shows how open data can be used to develop new services for citizens and, by encouraging them to provide additional information, to make that service even better. Local authorities have shown the amazing results that can be achieved through the excellent partnership they have developed with digital companies.

“Nesta hopes that other councils across Scotland and beyond will take advantage of the fact that all of the information and code for these initiatives is open source helping others to develop services for future years.”

Summer Drink Driving Campaign Week 2

ACPOS SUMMER DRINK DRIVING CAMPAIGN – ‘THE HALF TIME SCORES ARE IN’ . . . DRINK DRIVERS ARE LOSING

Motorists who persist in driving after taking alcohol or drugs face being on the losing side this summer – losing their licence and perhaps their vehicle and livelihood too.

At the half-way stage in the ACPOS Summer Drink and Drug Driving Campaign, results show that people are still ignoring warnings and continuing to choose to drive whilst under the influence of drink or drugs.

Figures for the first week of the campaign (June 4 –11) show that across Scotland, 111 people have been reported for drink driving and in addition three people were detected driving whilst being unfit through alcohol with five unfit through drugs.

A total of 15 vehicles have been seized for consideration of forfeiture by the court.

In one incident in Aberdeen, a female driver crashed into two parked cars and was found to be more than four times over the legal limit. She was also charged with dangerous driving.

In another incident in West Lothian, a woman was found to be driving whilst nearly three times the legal limit. Her 15 year old son was a passenger in the car.

Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson of Lothian and Borders Police is the Road Casualty Reduction Lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. He said: “The figures are marginally down on this time last year and that is refreshing to note. We welcome that trend and it is good to see that the number of people caught for driving whilst unfit through drugs has decreased by 60%. Hopefully the message is getting across.

“However it remains concerning that 111 drivers across Scotland have still opted to get behind the wheel when they are clearly incapable of driving safely. They pose a danger to other innocent road users and that is unacceptable.

“There are increased patrols on Scotland’s roads at present and the police are focused on catching drivers who take to the road whilst unfit through drink or drugs.

“Officers will continue with this initiative until June 18^th and I would encourage the public who suspect anyone of driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs to contact the Police or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

HM Inspector of Prisons on Peterhead

Conditions at Peterhead Prison remain among the worst of any establishment in Scotland with sanitation and hygiene arrangements being of particular concern, according to a report published today by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

The report also highlights concerns that there is insufficient provision to address offending behaviour and that very few prisoners are tested in less secure conditions before release.

Despite the poor fabric of the prison, the report commends staff and management for maintaining high standards of prisoner care, and highlights:

* The prison is safe for both prisoners and staff
* The provision of medical and mental health services are good
* There is adequate access to constructive activity during the day

Chief Inspector of Prisons Brigadier Hugh Monro said:

“Conditions in Peterhead Prison remain among the worst of any establishment in Scotland. I am particularly disappointed that the degrading practice of ‘slopping out’ remains.

Given the specialist nature of Peterhead I am concerned about the insufficient provision for addressing offending behaviour and the small number of prisoners who are appropriately prepared and tested prior to release. I have raised these issues in three of my six recommendations to the Scottish Prison Service and the Scottish Government and I would want to see them addressed as a matter of priority.

“My inspection did find many positives in Peterhead Prison with a total of 16 examples of good practice, the majority of which are a testament to the dedication of staff and management who have continued to deliver under difficult circumstances. The fact remains however that these are all overshadowed by the very real issues surrounding the age and fabric of the establishment.”