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The Toyota Mobility Foundation is to carry out a study on using connected car data to inform road maintenance in Akaiwa City, Japan. The study will combine connected car data and image data from vehicle video cameras to help local governments shorten lead time to uncover dangerous road infrastructure issues. As part of the study, Toyota held a conference with Okayama University and the city’s police to develop a sustainable low-cost system for road maintenance. Other topics included traffic safety, tr

EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company, is to carry out an urban air mobility pilot in the city of Guangzhou, China. Hu Huazhi, founder of Ehang, says the pilot will explore “the various meaningful ways in which AAVs can solve some of the stressors our congested cities face.” EHang will help the Guangzhou government establish a command centre to help ensure that multiple AAVs can fly safely. In addition, the company intends to help the city build up the basic infrastructure to support u

PTV is combining its resources with IT consultancy MHP to offer an expanded range of solutions including the implementation of digital service offerings. Dr. Markus Kirchler, member of the board of management of MHP, says: “We can examine mobility issues in greater depth and, using digital tools, offer our customers greater expertise and quality. This includes the modelling and simulation of various future scenarios and the optimisation of the supply chain.” Dirk Franke, regional managing director central

US technology company Drivewyze has launched a notification service that issues an audible tone and visual alert when a truck approaches dangerous curves or low bridges. Brian Heath, CEO of Drivewyze, says the company’s rollover alerts, on targeted exit ramps and curves, are geo-fenced at 500 locations in 32 states. “We worked closely with our state partners to identify the areas that had higher incidences of rollovers, so our alerts offer an early warning to drivers to check their speed,” he adds. The

Kyocera is to open a research centre that will focus on the development of autonomous vehicles and Internet of Things in the city of Yokohama, Japan. The research centre will integrate resources of three similar facilities in Tokyo which develop software and systems for the automotive industry. Hideo Tanimoto, president of Kyocera, says the company is hoping to “accelerate joint projects with outside partners to develop new businesses”. The new facility is in Minato Mirai, a seaside urban area which is s

ComfortDelGro is operating a free autonomous shuttle service in mixed traffic conditions at the National University of Singapore’s Kent Ridge Campus. Yang Ban Seng, CEO at ComfortDelGro says: “This passenger service trial provides us with an opportunity to observe how passengers respond to an autonomous vehicle. The operational experience gained will also be invaluable as we prepare for a future where autonomous and artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of our daily commute.” ComfortDelGro says

Shanghai Keolis - a joint venture with Shanghai Shentong Metro - has opened a new section of the Songjiang tram network, bringing its total coverage up to 27km. Shanghai Keolis says the network now serves 40 stations across the city’s residential areas and universities as well as linking up to the Shanghai metro network. Once complete, the 31km network is expected to carry around 170,000 passengers per day. Songjiang Transportation Investment Operation initiated the project to provide residents liv

UK drivers could be banned from using phones in hands-free mode, following a suggestion from MPs. The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has said that current UK law creates the “misleading impression” that the use of hands-free phones is a safe driving practice. However, there is increasing evidence to show that hands-free usage “creates the same risks of collision as using a hand-held device,” say the law-makers. In its latest report, Road Safety: driving while using a mobile phone, the

Engineering company Aselsan has installed an electronic toll collection system on the 200km highway between the Serbian and Greek border. Aselsan says the Macedonian Corridor 10 Electronic Toll Collection System will prevent irregularities during transits. The system includes seven toll collection stations that were put in place during the installation and infrastructure preparation stages.

The government of Canada has announced $79 million in joint funding to improve public transit in the province of British Columbia. The funding will be used to purchase 118 buses for use in the city of Victoria and the surrounding communities. It also includes ten long-range electric buses. François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of infrastructure and communities for Saint-Maurice–Champlain, says: “This investment in modern, eco-friendly vehicles serving communities across British Columbia will

The HEAT (Hamburg Electric Autonomous Transportation) project is integrating an autonomous shuttle bus into regular traffic in the German city. The electric bus will be available to riders travelling in HafenCity, a district within the borough of Hamburg-Mitte, from mid-2020. Developed by IAV, the minibus should be able to reach speeds of 50km/h while travelling along the 1.8km route. A digital communications system and sensors have been installed along the route to keep the vehicle in communication

Karhoo has joined forces with booking and dispatch platform iVcardo in a bid to expand its platform globally. The deal is expected to provide Karhoo with increased infrastructure and access to transport operators beyond ride-hailing city strongholds. Nicolas Andine, Karhoo co-CEO says: “By partnering with iVcardo, we will now have the ability to connect with transport operators anywhere in the world instantly.” Karhoo and its partners will use iVcardo’s enablement platform, which facilitates book

Nordic taxi company Cabonline has chosen Here Technologies as its mapping and location services provider in a bid to improve fleet operations.

US senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer confirmed the city of Lincoln will receive a $2.6 million grant to update its buses and related infrastructure. Fischer, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, says the grant will help the city “improve and update its transit system, ensuring residents can travel places more safely and efficiently”. The city will use the grant to purchase electric buses, charging stations and other infrastructure. The grant is being provided by the Federal Transit Administr