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Tolling specialist Q-Free has withdrawn from a tender process for an electronic road pricing (ERP) system in Jakarta, Indonesia, due to uncertainty on the tender timeline and outcome. This withdrawal decision is also based on uncertainty regarding project structure and financing and expected project profitability. The company says it intends to increase recurring revenues and reduce its reliance on single large projects, and will be more selective when it comes to which contracts it pursues. The

Uber has launched its Uber Bus service in Egypt as part of a strategy to provide commuters living in Cairo with an affordable transportation option. The service can be accessed via Uber’s standard app. Uber groups passengers travelling in the same direction to make the service more affordable and reduce the number of stops per trip. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, says: “We are committed to broadening access to the Uber platform with a range of low-cost options that will move more people around town an

Cohda Wireless has become the latest technology firm to get involved in the Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot in Queensland, Australia. The trial aims to allow 500 participating vehicles to communicate with roadside cooperative ITS (C-ITS) devices – and Cohda is to deploy on-board units (OBUs). Last week, Kapsch confirmed it is to deliver 30 roadside C-ITS devices for the trial, which is led by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Cohda’s OBUs are expected to exchange data at high s

Kapsch TrafficCom Australia is to deliver a tolling roadside system for two projects in Melbourne and Sydney for a combined value of AUD$30 million (£17m). In Melbourne, Kapsch’s tolling technology will be utilised in the West Gate Tunnel Project, an initiative which seeks to establish a second river crossing in the city and remove thousands of trucks from residential streets. Part of an agreement between two contractors: CPB Contractors John Holland Joint Venture (CPBJH JV), the full scope of the contr

Clearview Intelligence has launched its Journey Time Monitoring System which uses crowdsourced data to generate automatic traffic alerts for temporary and permanent routes. Paul Bates, head of product management for Clearview, says the system – which analyses anonymous GPS-determined locations transmitted by mobile phone and satellite navigation users - removes the need for installing and maintaining roadside technology. Operators can launch the application from a computer and receive data in minutes.

Inrix is to utilise map content from Here Technologies in more than 50 countries to increase its coverage of connected services in the automotive industry. Inrix collects anonymous data on connected vehicles and cities, road weather conditions, parking, mobile and other Internet of Things devices. It then provides driving and mobility intelligence for automakers, transportation agencies and enterprises. The partnership will also explore the possibility of combining resources to develop data servic

Transport for London (TfL) has described claims that it is deepening its relationship with Uber as ‘nonsense’. Media reports suggested that London’s transit authority might be going to offer customers access to public transport services via the ride-hailing firm's app. The Financial Times reported that Uber is attempting to add TfL's data about tube and bus timetables into the app. But a spokesperson from TfL told ITS International that the only thing it is putting out is open data – and does no

Swedish company Voi has launched its electric scooters in Lisbon as part of a wider ambition to expand in Europe. In addition to Portugal, the company says it plans to bring its e-scooters to Italy and France over the coming months. Frederico Venâncio, general manager of Voi Portugal, says Voi riders in Sweden have travelled more than 450,000km in Stockholm, and the company expects to see similar growth in Portugal. “Although we want to expand rapidly, we want to do it in a sustainable way and in line

Ride-hailing platform Karhoo says that the number of taxis and private hire (PH) vehicles in London is set to decline as demographic and financial pressures bite. Taxis can be hailed in the street while PH vehicles can only be booked in advance, but both are struggling, Karhoo says in its submission to the Greater London Authority (GLA)’s investigation into the sector. The headline figures of a large increase in PH numbers in London - and claims of this being the cause of congestion - have obscured

McCain is to upgrade San Francisco’s traffic signal infrastructure through the introduction of 400 M advanced transportation controller (ATC) cabinets over the next three years. Reza Roozitalab, McCain’s vice president of hardware engineering, says: “Our M ATC cabinet features two front side-by-side doors, ideal for areas with narrow sidewalks so maintenance teams can work inside without completely blocking the walkway.” Also, the M ATC cabinets feature a ‘lamp out monitoring algorithm’ which identifies

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pledged approximately $19 million in its first round of funding to help transit agencies invest in cleaner modes of transport. This initial round has been distributed to local companies as part of the Driving a Cleaner Illinois Programme – an initiative which seeks to improve air quality in the state by removing old diesel engines from service. Funding is expected to provide clean air benefits for working families and children in ‘environmental jus

Antaira Technologies has launched its ARS-7234-AC-T industrial wireless unit which is designed for indoor wireless access applications. ARS-7234-AC-T allows users to position the wireless antenna in a better signal-broadcasting location for improved wireless coverage and signal strength, the company says. The wireless unit has been released alongside the ARX-7234-AC-PD-T and ARY-7234-AC-PD wireless units for outdoor wireless applications. According to Antaira, all three units are embedded with Qualcomm

InDriver has launched its ride-hailing app in New York City (NYC) which allows the driver and passenger to negotiate lower fares. The app allows users to set a fare for a selected route. Nearby drivers receive the destination and fare and can either accept or bargain for more money. The passenger receives multiple offers from drivers, allowing them to make a choice based on fare amount, driver ratings, estimated time of arrival and vehicle make/model. The service is available to communities in Brooklyn,

An organisation representing telecoms network operators has warned European lawmakers that their vision for the development of cooperative ITS (C-ITS) risks being too narrow. In a letter to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the board of the NGMN Alliance highlights a key piece of EC legislation which will determine the technologies used for connected vehicles – and urges the inclusion of cellular-V2X (C-V2X) on the list. “Despite the EC’s stated commitment to technology neutrality, we

VTT’s Technical Research Centre in Finland has carried out an experiment using the 5G mobile network to help improve road safety, control self-driving cars and assist road maintenance providers. The company says 5G networks and fast data transmission solutions can collect sensor, video and radar data from vehicles. Public funding agency Business Finland subsidised the VTT's 5G-Safe project. It is part of the Challenge Finland competition, an initiative which explores the use of augmented reality an