Networking & Communication Systems

Quick Response codes, or QR codes, are being introduced on a trial basis at some local bus stops in Shanghai to allow passengers to check the whereabouts of buses and the expected arrival time of the next bus. Passengers can obtain real-time information on buses by scanning the QR code using their smartphones, allowing them to adjust commuting plans. The service was first launched in Shanghai during late 2012. Almost 90 bus routes serving Pudong New Area can be checked using a smartphone application. People

G-STEP, a University of Leicester Project part funded by the ERDF, is holding a free, interactive breakfast workshop on Thursday 7 March, to introduce their new freight route mapping service for mobile devices. The service, which has been developed in collaboration with Leicester City Council and the Road Haulage Association, comes in the form of an app, which can be loaded onto mobile devices for use remotely, and identifies approved routes for large vehicles, allowing drivers to avoid roads that are unsui

Norwegian toll technology provider Q-Free has secured two new contracts worth a combined US$7.5m to supply toll tags to toll concessionaires in Chile and Brazil.Vespucio Norte Express in Chile has placed a US$3.4m order for the firm’s OBU610 toll tags, with delivery to start this May. Q-Free is also to supply tags to the value of US$4.1m to Centro Gestao Meios de Pagto (CGMP) in Brazil. One of the first urban concessionaires in Santiago, Vespucio Norte Express is one of the most modern road connections worl

Drivewyze aims to revolutionise the way weighstation bypass systems work with its Pre-Clear system. And it’s not just looking at weighstations, either… Pete Goldin reports. Truck drivers know the drill: pull off the high­way at every weighstation and wait. Carriers know the drill, too: every minute spent waiting there translates directly into dollars lost. Traditionally, the only alternative to this scenario is a transponder-based system, which allows trucks to bypass the sites using technology similar to

New York’s Traffic Management Centre faced its toughest test yet when Hurricane Sandy hit the United States at the end of October last year. Power was maintained to the building in Long Island City, Queens, throughout, although backup systems were operational and ready to supply critical transportation systems if power had been lost. Support from TransCore staff included making sure the TMC networks and transportation systems were operational, including the TransSuite Traffic Control System (TCS), which had

Is the end for dedicated, in-vehicle telematics systems now in sight? Some seemed to think so at the recent Telematics Munich 2012 conference… Geoff Hadwick reports. Forget smartphone apps – leave that sort of thing to Apple and Google,” Roger Lanctot, associate director of the global automotive practice at consultancy Strategy Analytics told more than 700 delegates in Munich last month at the Telematics Munich 2012 conference. They are a waste of time and money, he said. Forget putting too much data on das

A real time traffic information service introduced at Mobile World Congress by traffic information and driver services provider Inrix and navigation app provider Navfree is designed to help its 12.5 million drivers worldwide save time, fuel and reduce frustration travelling every day. “Whether driving to a new destination, an important business meeting or just trying to get home in time for dinner, Inrix helps make our customers’ journeys as smooth as possible,” said Navfree CEO Peter Atalla. Inrix vice pre

After several years’ experience of loop detector failures, primarily identified as being caused by damage from roadworks or degradation of aging road surfaces, Aberdeen City Council opted to use the Golden River M100 wireless detection system from Clearview Traffic. Each compact M100 sensor is typically installed in the middle of a traffic lane where it detects the presence and passage of vehicles and communicates this information wirelessly to the traffic signal controller via an access point and contact c

As part of the Heart of Slough improvement project, new traffic intersections across seven key sites in and around Slough, UK have been equipped with a total of 162 Siemens WiMag wireless magnetometer sensors by Siemens to help improve the management of traffic using the A4 and travelling to and from the town centre. Complementing the company’s proven loop and radar detection solutions, the sensors provide the Heart of Slough project with an alternative traffic detection system that uses magnetic disturbanc

A new app developed by transportation specialists Cross County Connection Transportation Management Association (CCCTMA), allows users to quickly check the real-time traffic conditions and view live traffic cameras, at intersections known for congestion in southern New Jersey. CCCTMA says the NJ Intersections app works on iPhone and Android-enabled devices with an easy-to-use interface that quickly shows you exactly what the traffic situation looks like at any selected intersection. Simply touching the scr