Networking & Communication Systems

Versatile RocketLinx Ethernet switch

December 4, 2012

Comtrol Corporation’s RocketLinx ES7106-VB switch enables easy drop-in PoE (power over ethernet) device connectivity in transportation, factory and industrial settings while the VB (voltage boost) technology provides the capability to power the switch from common 12- and 24-volt supplies. Devices such as IP surveillance cameras, scanners and wireless access points within mobile and industrial settings may be integrated without the use of separate 48V power supplies, while four PoE injector switch ports prov

Telvent urban mobility control

December 3, 2012

Telvent GIT, real-time IT solutions and information provider, is to implement its urban mobility control centre and traffic light installation maintenance service for the city of Castellón de la Plana, Valencia, Spain. The contract includes Telvent’s integrated service management platform, SmartMobility ICM, which will enable coordinated management of all aspects of the city’s urban mobility. Initial focus will be on centralised monitoring of smart traffic infrastructures and traveller information panels, a

Expert calls for high-tech traffic control

November 29, 2012

A leading Chinese transportation expert has called for China to develop smart traffic technologies that are more customer-oriented, while boosting greener, safer and more efficient modern transportation in the country. "China's ITS applications should shift their focus to provide more solutions for public transportation in the next decade, and the industry should get a new stimulus by responding to the needs of the market," said Wang Xiaojing, chief engineer at the Research Institute of Highway under the Mi

Bus location system delivers real-time passenger information

November 28, 2012

VeriFone Systems has installed its open-architecture vehicle tracking TransitPAY system on more than 1,000 buses serving the Bronx, following the award of a US$8.5 million contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York. The Bronx contract award follows a similar contract in 2011 for the Staten Island fleet component of the MTA Bus Time system, which uses VeriFone on-board systems to generate location data that is communicated wirelessly to the Bus Time server that passengers can acc

Wireless parking sensors aid traffic reduction

November 28, 2012

According to research carried out by Keypoint Consultancy on behalf of Winterswijk town council in the Netherlands, the search for a parking space in the town has reduced significantly as parking spaces are better utilised since a new parking guidance system was introduced earlier this year. Research carried out in 2008 by Keypoint indicated that the town was affected by the increasing parking pressure and reduced accessibility at peak times, causing considerable inconvenience to residential areas and redu

Works begins on Chennai traffic management system

November 27, 2012

Work has begun on the long-awaited integrated traffic management system (ITMS) for Chennai in India. The new system is designed to help police monitor traffic violations more efficiently, as well as creating an automatic intelligent traffic control system to give priority to police cars and ambulances. The system, that includes high powered surveillan¬ce cameras, number plate readers and wi-fi at junctions, is to be first insta¬lled by local IT company Purple Infotech.

Crowd-sourced data feed enhances traffic monitoring

November 20, 2012

In the US, NaviGAtor 511, Georgia’s traveller information system, has partnered with Waze to provide enhanced traffic information. Waze, a crowd-sourced social GPS and real-time traffic application for smartphones and Android phones, will provide enhanced traffic data to the current 511 system, and create a special 511 user group, specifically for Georgia travelers, within the existing Waze mobile app. The arrangement was provided for under an existing marketing contract with Iteris, the firm that has opera

Utah university demonstrates wireless electric bus

November 19, 2012

Utah State University (USU) in the US has developed what it claims is the first and only wirelessly charged electric bus designed and developed exclusively by a North American research organisation. Nicknamed the Aggie Bus, the new vehicle is also the first of its kind in the world to achieve key performance standards for a wirelessly charged vehicle.

Bluetooth traffic monitoring in Denmark

November 16, 2012

Denmark’s second largest city has installed the BlipTrack Bluetooth based traffic monitoring system to monitor travel times and traffic flow. The sensors have been installed at strategic locations around the city and following eight months of testing, the company says the non-intrusive system provides the same information as alternative and more expensive solutions such as ANPR and loops. Sixty sensors are currently installed around the city to monitor travel times, detect changes in traffic patterns and w

Logging on to public transport

November 15, 2012

Cape Town’s public transport commuters can now use their cell phones to access real-time timetables and plan their routes, whether they are travelling by train, taxi, MyCiTi buses or the city’s Golden Arrow Bus service. FindMyWay is a free public service website that brings together all the modes of transport within the city, so that commuters can easily access the information in one place. Logging on to www.findmyway.mobi and www.gometro.co.za from a cell phone with an internet connection gives commuters