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“Origin/destination information derived from MaaS-style operations could be the key to reducing future gridlock caused by autonomous vehicles.” That was the message RideFlag’s chief technology officer Mark Feltham delivered to the IBTTA’s Annual Technology Summit in Orlando. “Once they have removed the costly driver, Uber and Lyft will be able to offer very affordable rides, tempting people doing long commutes on transit to pay those few extra dollars to take an Uber. The combination of long distance co

Tolling specialist Q-Free has signed multiple contracts with an unnamed customer in the US. The company says it will therefore reduce pollution caused by drivers searching for parking spaces. The 29 million NOK (£2.5m) contract includes the delivery of ultra-sonic single space sensors, intelligent signage, a suite of statistical reports and an application programming interface tool to show real-time parking availability. Håkon Volldal, Q-Free’s president and CEO, says: “This contract is a substantial con

WiTricity is to test an advanced wireless charging system prototype for electric vehicles (EVs) using materials and components developed by Japanese supplier Furukawa Electric. WiTricity says Furukawa offers copper wiring and thermal components which help otpimise the cost and performance of wireless charging, thereby increasing the adoption of wireless charging by carmakers and charging infrastructure providers. The partners will test WiTricity’s Drive 11 park and charge system, designed for intero

Bolt, the ride-share company which was formerly called Taxify, has launched electric kick scooters in central Madrid. The firm piloted the vehicles in Paris last year – making it the first to combine scooter sharing and ride-hailing together in one mobile app, Bolt claims. “Beating the traffic is a big issue in cities like Madrid and a lot of trips are much more efficiently covered with an electric scooter rather than a car with a driver,” says Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder of Bolt. He says the dep

ChargePoint Services is to install its GeniePoint Network electric vehicle (EV) chargers across all Morrisons supermarkets in the UK. ChargePoint says its 50-100kW rapid chargers will allow customers to refuel their EV in around 20 minutes. The firm’s managing director Alex Bamberg says: “By offering another useful local service, customers are provided with choice for grocery, café and comfort stops, and green vehicle refuelling.” The first chargers will be running by the end of this month and 100 are e

Cohda Wireless is to apply Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technology at an open test environment for connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) technologies in the centre of Berlin. Cohda will deliver its MK5 on-board units for large-scale field trials and roadside units at the Diginet-PS site, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The test site in the Strasse des 17. Juni is fitted with advanced vehicle positioning technology. Dr Manzoor Ahmed Khan, technical lead

Siemens Mobility has won a $6.2m contract to trial enforcement technology on New York City’s buses.

Optimus Ride is to launch autonomous vehicle (AV) mobility services for residents and workers in Brooklyn, New York and Paradise Valley Estates in Fairfield, California. The company says it will deploy the AVs (or ‘self-driving vehicles’, as it calls them) at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre modern industrial park, before June. The service will run on private roads, providing a loop shuttle service to connect NYC Ferry passengers to Flushing Avenue, outside the yard’s perimeter. David Ehrenberg, presid

MEPs have backed a funding programme which will include money for the digitalisation of transport and the development of 5G systems. The European Union policymakers have voted to support the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme for 2021-2027 in a meeting between European Parliament industry and transport committees. The provisional agreement sets the framework for continuing the CEF programme to fund transport, digital and energy projects over the seven-year period. The budgetary provisions for the

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are investing $300 million in ride-hailing firm Ola to develop smart mobility solutions in India. The partners will also work together to develop fleet solutions as well as electric vehicles (EV) and infrastructure. Hyundai will work with Kia and Ola to develop cars for a ride-hailing service. Data gathered during the service operation will allow the companies to make vehicle improvements. Ola drivers will receive various financial services including lease and instalment pa

For anybody interested in the latest trends in smart and integrated mobility, June’s ITS European Congress in Brainport-Eindhoven represents an opportunity to share knowledge and learn about the latest technologies and policy developments. That is the message from organiser Ertico – ITS Europe, which adds that the Congress in the Netherlands is expected to attract around 3,000 participants from over 50 countries, and will feature more than 100 sessions and workshops, many demonstrations and technical to

Iteris has been chosen by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to upgrade ITS across five cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The three-year project is supporting the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials (IDEA) programme, which seeks to improve the Bay Area’s readiness for C/AV technologies. Iteris will provide engineering services for the IDEA programme, including C/AV applications and virtual bicycle detection technology for signal oper

Various vehicle safety measures have been given the green light by European policymakers, paving the way for speed limiters in cars by 2022. The European Parliament, Council and Commission have approved the measures, which means such technology as lane assist, drowsiness detection, advanced emergency braking and intelligent speed assistance (ISA – or speed limiters) are expected to be mandatory – if formal approval is granted - in new vehicles in three years’ time. EU commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, res

MVIS has appointed Ian Lee as customer relationship manager where he will handle client services operations and manage the new North England depot. MVIS’ products and solutions are created by Bartco UK and, and incorporate monitoring and visual information equipment including variable message signs, CCTV and radar. Lee joins from Highways England and has 15 years’ experience of the highway industry, MVIS says.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) in Qatar has unveiled an integrated automated fare collection and ticketing system for the country’s internal transportation network. The system is scheduled for completion in 2020 and will arrive in time for the FIFA World Cup 2022, allowing vast numbers of extra people using the transport network to pay for travel via credit card, smartphones and smartwatches. MOTC is hoping that the system will encourage people to use public transport more frequ