News

Mobility as a Service (MaaS), transport data and micromobility are to be the subject of new regulatory review by the UK government. Zero-emission vehicles, driverless vehicles (AVs) and drones are already under similar review. But in a document, Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, maps out how the country’s Department of Transport will approach other mobility opportunities – and challenges. “This is the moment to reflect on what we as a society want these changes to deliver and what we want our urban

Uber is to acquire Dubai-based rival Careem for $3.1 billion in a move that will expand its presence in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The deal would allow Uber to acquire Careem’s mobility, delivery and payments in countries from Morocco to Pakistan. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, says: “This is an important moment for Uber as we continue to expand the strength of our platform around the world.” Uber says the transaction will speed up the delivery of digital services to people in the region through t

Volvo Bus is to deliver six single-deck electric buses to serve as an environmentally-friendly transport service at Birmingham airport in the UK from October. Nick Barton, CEO at Birmingham Airport, says: “Since 2012 the Airport has reduced its CO2 by 20% per passenger. Implementing the six electric buses will work towards lowering our CO2 per passenger even further.” Volvo says its 7900e vehicles come with an electric motor and four high capacity 200 kWh Lithium-ion batteries, which means no tailpipe em

ST Engineering has added BYD as its first partner in a consortium which seeks to deploy driverless buses in Singapore. The company is equipping BYD’s electric buses with autonomous vehicle technology. The vehicles will operate in the towns of Punggol, Tengah and the Juroung Innovation District located in Singapore’s western corridor. The consortium is being formed following a request from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Economic Development Board to trial autonomous buses and shut

Clean energy company Fortum is working with Momentum Dynamics and the City of Oslo to introduce wireless fast-charging infrastructure for electric taxis in the Norwegian capital. Fortum says the project is seeking to reduce the time it takes for drivers to find chargers, thereby reducing climate emissions from the taxi sector. The partners are aiming to install induction technology, with charging plates in the ground able to provide up to 75 kilowatts of power, the company adds. Annika Hoffner, head o

Bolt, the ride-share firm which was previously called Taxify, has insisted that the ITS industry must be careful what it does with the data it collects. Speaking at ITS International’s MaaS Market conference in London last week, Dominick Moxon-Tritsch, Bolt’s director of regulation and public policy, told delegates: “In principle we’ve got no problem with data sharing.” The company already works with public authorities across Europe, he said, but there is an obligation on firms in the mobility sector

Denso has taken a $5 million stake in Airbiquity, a US company which develops connected vehicle services and automotive telematics technology. Denso says the investment will accelerate the development of over-the-air (OTA) systems for wirelessly updating automotive software from a remote location. Tony Cannestra, Director of Corporate Ventures at Denso, says is investing in Airbiquity “to deliver safe and reliable automated driving technology”. Denso will develop OTA systems in cooperation with Toyota M

Fluor and its partners are to construct and operate the Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) Automated People Mover, a project valued $4.9 billion, over the next 30 years. The announcement follows the completion of a pre-construction phase carried out by Fluor and its LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) team on behalf of Los Angeles World Airports. The line is expected to offer a rider capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour once it is operational in 2023. Terence Easton, president

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore is to launch an account-based ticketing system which will allow commuters to pay for public transport via Mastercard from 4 April. LTA says the SimplyGo system will allow card users to also keep track of travel expenditure and history by registering for an account of the TransitLink SimplyGo Portal, available online and via the SimplyGo mobile app. Yeo Teck Guan, senior group director, public transport at LTA, says: “SimplyGo widens the range of payment

The US cities of Charlotte, Detroit and Omaha are looking to develop a regulatory model for scooter deployment using Passport’s mobility platform. Mark de la Vergne, chief of mobility innovation for the City of Detroit, says: “With this pilot programme, we are now connected to a network of cities facing the same challenges and we can effectively work together to develop a new regulatory model that can be scaled nationally.” Passport says the cities will be able to apply parking principles, data analy

Swarco is to supply 100 mobile variable message signs (VMS) to SRL Traffic Systems in the UK as part of a £2.25 million deal. Alison Spooner, commercial director at SRL, a manufacturer of portable and temporary traffic equipment, says the company is aiming to establish a VMS division which comprises 500 signs. Swarco says its solar-powered VMS signs are equipped with energy-efficient LEDs capable of displaying full colour text and images. SRL will use Swarco’s Zephyr solution to set messages rem

Hyundai Auto Canada has launched Nexo, a fuel cell-powered SUV which it will make available to members of the public via Modo’s car-sharing service. The partners are seeking to make the fuel cell vehicles available to a wider audience and allow Canadians to learn more about the technology. Hyundai says Nexo runs on hydrogen, allowing it to emit clean water vapour and purify the air as it isbeing driven. Drivers who refill the engine for five minutes will be provided with a range of up to 570km,

Connected technology firm Sprint is to launch a commercial 5G service in May. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City will be the first of its nine markets, with Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, DC expected to follow by the end of June. The company has also created an interactive exhibition, the Sprint 5G Experience, at its Kansas HQ to explain how the communications protocol works and what difference it will make to people’s lives. Steve Gaffney, Sprint vice president

Micromobility innovations such as dockless bikes have been welcomed by users – but in many cases have been dreaded in the cities where they have been launched, as abandoned bicycles and scooters have caused problems for local residents.

WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) and Transport Design International are developing a battery-powered rail-based vehicle on behalf of Coventry City Council in the UK. WMG, an academic department at the University of Warwick, is hoping that the 15-passenger very light rail (VLR) will eventually operate without a timetable and allow people to hop on and off. Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, says: “It will be much more affordable to install than traditional trams, take