Artificial intelligence is set to play a key role in assessing the condition of rural roads, according to plans being developed by Gloucestershire County Council in collaboration with the Department for Transport (DfT).
The council has confirmed that AI-based camera technology is being trialled as a new method for surveying road networks, following concerns from councillors about the lack of recent data on unclassified routes. The Local Democracy Reporting Service noted that these concerns were raised particularly in light of the absence of data collection over the past two years.
The AI system is currently under development, with implementation expected in 2026. It follows the DfT’s decision in 2023 to remove both the requirement to report on unclassified roads and the national standard used to assess their condition.
At a cabinet meeting held on 18 June, Minchinhampton councillor Chloe Turner stressed the importance of the data for rural motorists, describing it as “crucial”.
In a written response, cabinet member Dom Harris explained that, prior to the 2023 policy change, the condition of larger unclassified roads had been assessed every three years using a specialist scanning vehicle. He added: “Since the last assessment period in 2023 when DfT removed both the reporting requirement and standard by which to measure unclassified roads, all authorities have been working with DfT to implement an AI-based camera assessment of their networks. This remains under development, but is likely to be the agreed method to be implemented in 2026.”
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