IRF Members’ News

TRL Software has launched SCOOT® 8 AI, the world’s first AI-powered predictive solution for Urban Traffic Control (UTC).

Building on five decades of SCOOT® experience from TRL, this groundbreaking evolution of the globally trusted SCOOT® introduces artificial intelligence capable of forecasting traffic conditions up to 30 minutes in advance – empowering cities to prevent congestion before it occurs.

SCOOT® 8 AI delivers journey-time reductions of up to 15% compared with current generation systems, and even greater gains for cities upgrading from earlier versions. By combining proven adaptive signal control with predictive AI, TRL Software enables a shift from reactive traffic management to proactive optimisation.

SCOOT® 8 AI offers a range of key innovations and benefits, including predictive control that forecasts network demand and automatically adjusts signal timings for smoother traffic flow, reduced delays, and faster incident response, all without costly microsimulation.

Its intelligent automation uses self-optimising algorithms to cut manual interventions and features built-in anomaly detection that can identify incidents up to 40% faster, often before emergency calls are made.

The system is hardware-agnostic and integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, protecting previous investments while adding future-ready capabilities such as support for active travel and connected or autonomous vehicles.

Real-time performance dashboards track return on investment and allow integration with third-party platforms like Waze for Cities, ensuring continuous, data-driven optimisation.

SCOOT® has been managing traffic flow in more than 350 towns and cities worldwide for nearly 50 years and is widely regarded as the gold standard in adaptive signal control.

As the original developer, TRL Software is the exclusive source for SCOOT® 8 AI, ensuring cities receive authentic expertise, full support, and continuous innovation.

With growing challenges around congestion, emissions, and road safety, SCOOT® 8 AI provides transport authorities with a robust, future-ready platform that delivers measurable results and a typical return on investment within 12 months.

Christopher Kettell, Chief Technologist at TRL Software, said “SCOOT® 8 AI represents a fundamental shift in how cities manage traffic. By combining our proven adaptive control with predictive AI, we are not just responding to congestion, we are preventing it. More importantly, we are tracking every outcome to give cities real confidence that their investment is delivering tangible results on their streets.” 

Milton Keynes City Council has appointed TRL Software to deploy its cutting-edge Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system, powered by the world-renowned SCOOT® signal optimisation technology, across the city’s signal-controlled junctions. This decision marks a major milestone in the Council’s strategy to build a smarter, greener, and more responsive transport system, aligned with the vision laid out in MK Futures 2050, the new City Plan, and the developing Local Transport Plan 5. 

Supporting a Future-Focused Urban Vision 

With Milton Keynes projected to grow significantly in population, economic activity, and transport demand over the coming decades, the city’s highway infrastructure needs to evolve to remain fit for purpose. Its grid-based road network, already distinctive in the UK, offers a unique opportunity to implement future-focused traffic management strategies that adapt to real-time conditions and anticipate future growth. 

The implementation of TRL Software’s UTC powered by SCOOT® enables real-time signal control across junctions by dynamically adjusting traffic light timings in response to actual traffic conditions. Unlike traditional fixed-time systems, the SCOOT® algorithm continually responds to traffic flow, minimising delays and optimising journey times for all road users, including drivers, public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists. 

TRL’s UTC system will allow Milton Keynes City Council to monitor and manage its traffic network more efficiently through a unified digital platform, providing data-rich insights and enabling evidence-based decision-making. The system is expected to deliver a range of benefits: improving journey times by reducing stop-start traffic, lowering vehicle emissions through more consistent traffic flow, and better accommodating the needs of public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. In addition, it will provide a robust and flexible foundation for integrating emerging technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles, making the transport network not only more efficient and inclusive, but also truly future-ready. 

Christopher Kettell, Chief Technologist for TRL Software, said: 

“Milton Keynes has long been a pioneer in transport innovation, and we are proud to be supporting the city as it continues to lead by example. Our UTC powered by SCOOT® system is a proven technology, designed to make urban traffic networks more efficient, more resilient, and more environmentally responsible. This deployment will not only improve today’s journeys but also lay the groundwork for the transport technologies of tomorrow. It is an exciting time to be part of this” 

A Partnership Grounded in Innovation 

The decision to work with TRL Software reflects the Council’s commitment to partnering with experts in intelligent transport systems (ITS) and leveraging proven technologies to deliver smarter, people-centric outcomes.

Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Public Realm at Milton Keynes Council, added: 

“As Milton Keynes grows and evolves, we must ensure our transport systems grow with it, not only in scale, but in intelligence and adaptability. Working with TRL Software gives us access to a sophisticated traffic management platform that aligns with our wider objectives around clean growth, digital infrastructure, and city-wide innovation. This investment supports our vision to deliver a seamless, safe, and sustainable transport experience for everyone who lives, works, and travels in Milton Keynes.” 

Building Towards 2050 and Beyond 

This project is a key enabler for the broader ambitions set out in MK Futures 2050, a strategic framework that reimagines how Milton Keynes will look and function in the middle of the 21st century. The plan calls for bold action across infrastructure, mobility, environment, and digital transformation, with smarter traffic management identified as a foundational component. 

Milton Keynes’ adoption of TRL Software’s UTC powered by SCOOT® reinforces the city’s position as a leader in transport innovation and urban planning and demonstrates how local authorities can use smart systems to unlock long-term economic and environmental value. 

Valerann has been awarded the 2025 Toll Excellence Award by the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The recognition highlights Valerann’s collaboration with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Roughan & O’Donovan (ROD) to improve incident detection and response on Ireland’s motorway network using its AI-powered data fusion platform, Lanternn by Valerann™ (LbV).

Recently, BBC Tech Now covered the story, featuring it on their channel. You can watch the video here:

Read video transcription:

Our busy roads can be dangerous places. But inside this building, there are people watching the roads to keep them safe.

BBC: Look at this! Andrew, what is this?

Andrew O'Sullivan (Senior Operations Manager, Transport Infrastructure Ireland): This is the Motorway Operations Control Centre where we look at and monitor and watch 1300 km of Irish motorways.

BBC: So, this is the whole country, essentially?

Andrew: That is the whole country.

BBC: Amazing.

Andrew: All of Ireland.

BBC: What are the people here doing? What kind of things are you looking out for?

Andrew: The ledge here are looking for breakdowns where people have gotten into difficulty. They're broken down on the side of the road. They may be looking for collisions. They may be looking for debris. You lost loads, cargo straps, that type of thing lying on the road. Another problem we would have is pedestrians and cyclists ending up in the motorway network.

The huge bank of screens gives you a sense how challenging that task is, which is why staff are getting help spotting incidents and accidents from an AI system made by a startup called Valerran.

Well, as you can hear, the road generates a lot of noise. It also generates a lot of data from things like navigation apps and CCTV. And Valerann's AI analyses that data to spot hazards and raise the alarm.

Michael Vardi (Co-Founder of Valerann): So you'd have a camera like that one over there that can monitor traffic. You'd have roadside radars that automatically detect instances or even underground sensors that count and classify traffic. Phones with navigation apps and social media share information about risks and incidents. And what our system does is it collects this wealth of information.

BBC: Give me an example of a time where the AI flagged something to the operators here.

Michael: In this case, we're looking through about 11 and a half thousand alerts every single day. And our system goes through that and picks the most important ones. In this case, we had alerts from WAZE navigation app where people drive along the motorway, use this navigation app, and if they see an incident, they report it.

The AI also noticed that traffic speed in blue absolutely dropped to under 40 km an hour. Our AI also sieves through and processed the video footage in the area. What you can see in this replay is that traffic speed is flowing normally. And, as I fast forward, you can see all of a sudden a breakdown of traffic all to the point where vehicles are actually stopping in the live lane. And so when the AI raised all this, the operator looked at this event, immediately validated and sent over a response that indeed it was a collision.

In this example from America, the system raised an alert when this truck left the road and disappeared from view. Valererann tells us that, luckily, the driver escaped serious injury.

Dr. Robert Corbally (Research & Innovation Lead Roughan and O'Donovan): What we saw was that the operators were able to see things a bit quicker and on average when the system alerted them of something that they didn't know about already, it typically alerted 10 or 15 minutes before they would have found it otherwise.

BBC: AI is advancing all the time. What's the future of this technology?

Michael: As data becomes more available and AI becomes more effective, this type of life-saving technology can be applied to all roads. Suddenly, more remote communities and small rural roads can enjoy the same benefits of active monitoring response as these busier networks.

BBC: The obvious question that springs into people's minds is it going to be start start replacing human beings?

Andrew: No, not at all. As technology is evolving, there's more and more data being generated. The problem with data generation [is that] it takes people to interpret it and how we use it currently. This tool lets us use that data and provide that information to operators to do something meaningful with. It's a tool we're looking at. It's not a replacement for people. It's a tool for people to help them and do their job better.

The role of AI in road safety is still a promising work in progress. For now, safety still critically depends on that other intelligent automotive system, the driver.