The Power of Information Taskforce understands communications priorities:
Today, government bodies consider their own websites to be a higher priority than technical infrastructures that open up their data for others to use. We argue that this understanding is a mistake. It would be preferable for government to understand providing reusable data, rather than providing websites, as the core of its online publishing responsibility.
— Richard Allan, Task Force Chair
The Show Us a Better Way project is a laudable attempt to open up UK government data sources — and it’s good to see a number of government agencies joining in too.
Two bits of previously locked-up government data you can now get your hands on:
The Postcode Address File — this behemoth maps UK postcodes to addresses, including address aliases, Welsh language equivalents and sub-addresses for buildings with more than one. Instructions on how to get a sample are on the Show Us a Better Way website, though amusingly the only way of getting the sample data is on a CD in the post. So much for progress.
Transport Direct data — I've only just requested access to this so haven't had a chance to look around, but the content looks promising in principle: ‘Location of bus stops, stations etc and descriptions of the locations; The National Car Park Register; Journey planning information; A carbon calculator; The National Public Transport Data Repository feed’
It’ll be interesting to see how the competition goes (there’s £20,000 up for grabs) — and I’ll be particularly keen to see how many iPhone apps emerge which make use of this data.