News

Transport for London (TfL) has rejected Uber London’s application for a new private hire operator license. The move follows a review and a joint petition between global consumer group SumOfUs and GMB union. TfL concluded that Uber is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license and shows a lack of responsibility in conduct.

MarketsandMarkets’ latest research report estimates that the marker for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems is projected to grow and reach US$55.31 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 22.23% from 2020 to 2025. Government mandates in European countries and the US and rising safety concerns shall be the major drivers for the growth of this market. By vehicle type, the passenger vehicle segment is projected to lead the AEB market in terms of value

As the UK’s future relationship with the European Union hangs over the capital’s businesses, According to the latest CBI/CBRE London Business Survey, firms view the technology and creative sectors as fundamental to London’s future prosperity. Two thirds of the 271 respondents to the London Business Survey (65 per cent) said that the technology and creative sectors were the principal sectors for the capital’s economic growth over the next five years, followed by professional services (49 per cent) and f

Transport industry leaders have gathered in Brussels today to confirm their commitment to expanding the deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Europe Global vehicle manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Symbio and Toyota, as well as leading hydrogen refuelling infrastructure providers, are gathering at the Hydrogen for Clean Transport conference to discuss and debate hydrogen-based solutions towards a zero emission transport

German vehicle inspection organisation DEKRA is building a connected car test area in Malaga, Spain, as part of its international testing network for connected and automated driving. The test area will open before the end of 2017and area will focus on R&D and early production testing, while the existing test ground at DEKRA in Klettwitz and the Lausitzring race track in Germany, recently acquired by DEKRA, will be set up for automotive systems, whole vehicle and infrastructure testing.

Researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, are developing new technology for in-road charging of electric vehicles (EVs). The project, which uses inductive power transfer technology, has recently received US$8.7 million ((NZ$12 million) government funding for the development of in-road pads which would charge EVs driving or parking over them.

UK companies are urged to compete for up to US$20 million (£15 million) of funding to develop technology to reduce harmful emissions from freight. Roads Minister Jesse Norman has called on businesses to lead research into low emission technology for lorries, as well as cars and vans. The projects could see materials which make vehicles lighter, or improve the efficiency of engines or batteries, he says.

Imaging Development Systems (IDS) has introduced the Vision Suite 1.0 offering full software support for evaluating and setting up GigE Vision cameras. Available for all 64-bit Windows and Linux operating systems, the software package includes a graphical user interface, which can be used to test connected cameras quickly without the need for programming. It also includes a range of tools, which can be used to automate the configuration of several cameras, configure the camera properties and select settings

The European Commission has launched an online tool to analyse EU and Member State projects’ clean, connected and competitive contributions to Europe’s transport sector. The Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) is developed and implemented by the EU Joint Research Centre on behalf of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. It replaces the Transport Research & Innovation Portal (TRIP) and incorporates the latter’s database of over 10,000

French driverless shuttle company Navya and the South Australian State Government have agreed on plans to establish Navya’s Asia-Pacific manufacturing facility in Adelaide. Navya’s ARMA shuttles are electric, 100 per cent driverless and can carry up to 15 people. South Australia hosted the first demonstration of a driverless vehicle in Australia in 2015, while Adelaide hosted the inaugural International Driverless Cars Conference in November 2015.

New research by UK motoring association the RAC reveals that nearly one in four drivers still makes or receives calls while driving, despite the doubling of penalties for the offence in March 2017, to six points and a £200 fine. In September 2016 the RAC revealed that the illegal use of handheld mobile phones at the wheel had reached epidemic proportions. Days later the Government announced the penalty for the offence would increase to six points and a £200 fine in a bid to stamp out the dangerous habit.

Technology and management services provider Serco has been awarded a new contract to provide safety service patrol support for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Austin District. Under this new contract, Serco will manage the safety service patrol (SSP) services delivered across 310 miles of roadways in Austin to help minimise incident duration and improve driver safety during traffic incidents.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently carried out a trial of International Road Dynamics’ (IRD) Tyre Anomaly and Classification System (TACS) powered by the VectorSense tyre sensor suite. These systems provided Oklahoma with new, technologically advanced facilities that enabled cost effective screening of commercial vehicles for weight, credential or safety violations.

Engineering researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo are developing technology which can accurately determine when drivers are texting or engaged in other distracting activities. The system uses cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect hand movements that deviate from normal driving behaviour and grades or classifies them in terms of possible safety threats.