Location Based Systems

A new report by information service provider Global Information says that intelligent transportation systems (ITS) improve public transport and traffic management to reduce traffic congestion, promote smoother and safer driving and improve coordinate and overall smarter use of transport networks. The development of intelligent infrastructures – from roads to bridges – is primarily a governmental responsibility while the domain of developing intelligent vehicles belongs to the commercial side. Both private a

TomTom has released the latest version of its HD Traffic real time real-time traffic information service, TomTom HD Traffic 6.0, which the company says offers more precise information about roadworks, road closures and jam locations, helping drivers reach their destination faster. The service includes two new congestion forecasting features, which indicate whether a jam is growing or dispersing and estimate how long congestion will last. HD Traffic 6.0 reports the locations of traffic jams on highways up to

The United States and the European Union (EU) are working together to foster international connected vehicle research and international harmonisation of the technology and standards necessary for broad deployment of connected vehicle systems.

UK traffic information and driver services provider Inrix has introduced a new traffic app for Android that helps drivers locate the closest, cheapest petrol from more than 100,000 petrol station locations nationwide.

German software and consulting company PTV has launched the latest version of PTV Visum public transport planning software, featuring a modern window design and powerful network display options. The company says that version 12.5 is more user-friendly, with a new window design that displays all relevant information at a glance. Users can drag windows to a different position and group them according to their requirements in the main window or extract them from the main window via drag and drop, enabling lis

GreenRoad, UK provider of driver performance management services, has introduced what it says is the world’s first smartphone-based driver performance solution for fleets. Encompassing several key technological and engineering breakthroughs, GreenRoad Smartphone Edition, code-names Asimov, is available now in beta for Android devices. GreenRoad Smartphone Edition uses smartphone native functionality, including GPS and built-in accelerometers, to eliminate the need for a professionally installed telematics d

India’s Centre for Railway Information Service (CRIS) has announced a new web application called RailRadar, which allows users to access the location of a specific train on Google maps and track movements of trains in real time. Developed jointly with RailYatri, the app will help users find the exact geographical location of Indian Railways’ 6,500 passenger trains. Users can also access the RailRadar service from their mobile phones via the device's browser. The opening screen of RailRadar features a map o

A recent survey of fleet managers and decision-makers by GreenRoad, driver performance management service provider, entitled Fleet leaders embracing mobile technology potential, found that fleet managers are leading smartphone adoption and work-related app usage. The survey revealed strong interest in smartphones and mobile devices across the industries surveyed. Sixty-six percent of fleet leaders report that most of their managers now carry smartphones at work. Forty-three percent are using smartphone or

Canada’s Regional Municipality of York (YRT/Viva) has partnered with Google and INIT, supplier of ITS and fare collection systems, to offer bus passengers real-time trip plans through Google maps. The service, Google Live Transit Updates, tracks YRT buses using INIT’s GPS-based navigation system and provides passengers with the exact time a bus will depart from their stop. YRT/Viva is the first transit agency in Canada to offer real-time trip planning on Google with up-to-the-minute next bus departure infor

US-based mapping and navigation specialist, Rand McNally has unveiled its new HD 100 device, which the company claims turns GPS units, tablets and smart phones into compliant electronic on-board recorders (EOBR) systems. Designed to work seamlessly with a variety of mobile devices, the hours of service recorder within the HD 100 qualifies it as a compliant electronic driver log. The device plugs into a vehicle's on-board diagnostics port and records the truck's GPS position along with critical vehicle-speci