Charging, Tolling & RUC

Transurban-Fluor and AAA Mid-Atlantic have released the second annual report on distracted drivers on I-95 in Northern Virginia, which found that despite major construction, distracted driving is a growing problem on the heavily travelled corridor. The report, part of the Orange Cones, No Phones campaign focused on reducing distracted driving in the 95 Express Lanes construction zone, found that the number of frequent I-95 drivers likely to use their cell phone while driving has increased from 56 percent i

Xerox is to form a three-year partnership with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) to help shape the future of urban mobility across the country. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate how emerging automotive information-based systems and communications capabilities enable improved transaction-based business processes.

Kapsch TrafficCom has been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award 2014 for the innovative design of its Kapsch NEXT transponder and communication device for toll collection applications.

Colombian highway concessionaire Coviandes has awarded Indra the contract, worth nearly US$35 million, for the design, installation and start-up of the intelligent traffic systems (ITS) the control and communications systems for 45 kilometres of the Bogota-Villavicencio highway in Colombia.

Strabag, as part of the sky-ways consortium, has been awarded the contract for the electronic truck toll concession in Belgium. Strabag subsidiary Efkon will deliver, install, operate and maintain the enforcement software and system technology for the satellite tolling of Belgian’s primary road network for a period of twelve years.

In a bid to ease congestion on the city’s streets, the Jakarta government has announced plans to start a trial run on an electronic road pricing (ERP) system in July.

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has applauded the Obama Administration for including language in its surface transportation reauthorisation proposal, the Grow America Act, released earlier today that would ‘eliminate the prohibition on tolling existing free Interstate highways.’

Q-Free reported 22 per cent increase in revenues to US$28 million in the first quarter of 2014, reflecting continued growth for products and service and maintenance but lower projects revenues. Operating profit (EBIT) increased to US$166,000 from an operating loss of US$8.8 million in the first quarter of 2013; pre-tax profit improved to US$333,000 from a loss of US$9.1 million in the same period last year.

According to the latest report by Global Industry Analysts, Intelligent Transportation Systems: A Global Strategic Business Report, the global market for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is projected to reach US$26.3 billion by 2020, driven by continued rise in vehicular traffic and the need to regulate traffic flow, rising impetus for enhancing road safety, and escalating socio-environmental implications of traffic congestion.

Sanef Group has announced the financial close of the Mersey Gateway project in the UK, after Halton Borough Council signed agreements with the Merseylink consortium for the construction and the maintenance of the new bridge and its associated toll system, as well as for the toll operation and demand management.