News

In a new twist to waste-to-fuel technology, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have accidentally developed an electrochemical process that uses tiny spikes of carbon and copper to turn carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into ethanol. The team used a catalyst made of carbon, copper and nitrogen and applied voltage to trigger a complicated chemical reaction that essentially reverses the combustion process. With the help of the nanotechnology-based catalyst which

Swedish manufacturer of rugged mobile computers and tablets Handheld Group is to supply devices for railway track service and maintenance to two European railways in contracts valued at more than US$2 million. Each of the two railways selected a separate device — one opted for a NAUTIZ handheld device, and the other chose an ALGIZ rugged tablet solution. Both projects involve hardware, accessories and services. Project deliveries have already begun and are expected to continue over the next 12 to 18 mon

The US Consumer Watchdog is calling on the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to prohibit autonomous vehicles without a human driver capable of taking control until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enacts enforceable standards covering the safety performance of robot cars. NHTSA has proposed a voluntary safety checklist that contains no enforceable standards. The proposed DMV rules would require manufacturers to submit that federal checklist before testing or deployin

The revenue of the global intelligent transportation systems market stood at US$20.22 billion in 2015 and the market is expected to reach US$57.44 billion by the end of the forecast period, developing at a CAGR of 12.7 per cent during the forecast period, according to research by Transparency Research (TMR). According to the report, Intelligent Transportation System Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016-2024, on the basis of type, advanced transportation managem

A new report released today by The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) highlights that the huge investment already going into research and development for connected vehicles is reaping rewards. However, several obstacles still remain – from privacy and security concerns, to a lack of infrastructure, the need for a legislative framework, issues around congestion and pollution and the very real threat from on-demand transport disruptors such as Uber and Lyft. Matt Kendall, telecoms analyst at The EIU, sa

Dutch motorcyclists’ organisations Motorrijders Actie Groep (MAG), the Koninklijke Nederlandse Motorrijders Vereniging (KNMV) and Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) have written to RDW, the Netherlands Vehicle Authority, to express their concerns about the way car manufacturers implement driver assist systems. According to FEMA, crashes, studies and evasive answers to its questions FEMA indicate that these systems are not properly tested and certainly not with motorcycles. FEMA

Results from the first European Day Without A Road Death (Project EDWARD) on 21 September have been published by TISPOL (the European Traffic Police Network) and the European Commission. Project EDWARD took place in 31 countries and more than 103,000 organisations and individuals signed a road safety pledge on the website of the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL). More than 80 road safety actions were organised across Europe, including information and awareness-raising activities in schools and com

The new US$2.5 billion Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) in Illinois, US, covers 62 miles and features reconstruction and expansion to eight lanes on one section along with significant improvements to seven interchanges and bus-on-shoulder service along the eastern segment. In addition, the new I-90 includes flexible infrastructure to enable the tollway to add new smart features and future transit expansion, including active traffic management (ATM) on a portion of the roadway to make I-90 safer and mo

The International Transport Federation (ITF) and Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) are to launch Safer City Streets, the new global traffic safety network for liveable cities on 18 October during the UN Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador. Road safety is a growing issue for mayors and city managers. Cities address many challenges by working together and learning from each other – but so far not in the field of road safety data. Safer City Streets now fills this gap by linking cities t

American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is supporting National School Bus Safety week by partnering with schools and law enforcement nationwide to remind motorists of the laws to obey and safe practices to take when approaching a school bus. Results from the company’s latest review of its CrossingGuard school bus stop arm safety camera programs indicate that automated enforcement systems continue to deter drivers who might otherwise illegally pass a stopped school bus and put children in danger. The data found

By turning itself into one huge Living Lab for Smart Charging of electric vehicles, the Netherlands aims to become the international frontrunner for smart charging EVs, using them to store peak solar and wind power production. Already 325 municipalities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, have joined the Dutch Living Lab Smart Charging project, representing 80 per cent of all public charging stations. It is also supported by the Dutch government and has been joined by some The New Motion

Parking solutions provider APT Skidata, a joint venture of Swarco and Skidata, has launched SWAPPAccess, a ticketless parking solution that enables customers to plan, park and pay for parking, whether on-street or off-street, through a dedicated mobile app. Using APT Skidata’s hosted payments solutions and smartphone applications, drivers set up an account via the app with their payment details stored through a secure portal. Before embarking on a journey, registered users can access parking availability

The Traffic and Patrol Department of Sharjah Police has successfully increased road safety since the beginning of last year by utilising technologies new to the United Arab Emirates, designed to manage truck and heavy vehicle movements in the emirate - the highlight of their recent submission in to the Gulf Traffic Awards taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 13-15 November. Issues with heavy vehicles passing through the city without permits and other restricted zones have been a recurring pro

Q-Free has received a US$3.1 million (NOK26 million) order for toll tags from Costanera Norte, one of four concessionaires in Santiago, Chile. The order will be delivered between November 2016 and January 2018. Q-Free has delivered tags to all the urban concessionaries of Santiago since the implementation of the first multi-lane free flow system, with more than 1.6 million tags delivered during the last 10 years.

The USDOT has released new reports highlighting its latest research initiatives and findings related to intelligent transportation systems (ITS). These include Coordination of Mobile Devices: Technology and Standards Scan (FHWA-JPO-15-224), which presents the technology scan and standards assessment performed for the USDOT project on utilising mobile devices in connected vehicle applications. The report provides an overview of relevant communication and connected vehicle technology, and identifies the mo