News

More than 65 per cent of motorists want to retain the right to drive even though driverless cars are coming, according to new research released today by IAM RoadSmart – formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists. IAM RoadSmart conducted an independent survey of 1,000 British motorists and a separate poll among its 92,000 members. Those 65 per cent of motorists believe that a human being should always be in control of the vehicle, with 53 per cent saying that the focus should be on making drivers safer – n

Fluor Corporation’s joint venture team, Fluor-Lane South Carolina, comprising Fluor and The Lane Construction Corporation, has been selected by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to design and build the Port Access Road Project in Charleston. The Port of Charleston is currently the fastest growing major container port in the US and the new roadway and structure project will provide direct access between the proposed marine container terminal located on the former Naval Base and Intersta

Swedish car maker Volvo Cars is to begin an ambitious autonomous driving trial next year to speed up the introduction of a technology that promises to massively reduce car accidents as well as free up congested roads and save drivers valuable time. The company is pioneering the development of autonomous driving systems globally as part of its commitment that no one will be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo by the year 2020. The test will be called Drive Me London and will differentiate itself from

Global Traffic Technologies (GTT) is to supply the city of Anaheim, California and Anaheim Fire & Rescue for the implementation of its latest-generation Opticom GPS pre-emption solution, which works with intersection controllers to ensure emergency vehicles can move through intersections rapidly and safely. Opticom includes a GPS component for location and wireless communications between authorised emergency vehicles and the intersections. When the vehicle needs to navigate an intersection quickly and safel

PANDHUB, a three-year international project coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is developing ways of reducing the risk of pandemics and managing other high-threat pathogen incidents in transport hubs. The objective of the project is to assess threats, to forecast and to model and develop preparedness and ways to limit the spread of serious high-threat infections in transport hubs, such as airports and underground and train stations. The project also involves testing and developing

Beginning this week, road users on the A58 motorway between Eindhoven and Tilburg in the Netherlands can test the rapid data infrastructure for their Shockwave traffic jam service. Thirty-four wi-fi beacons on the motorway ensure that the FlowPatrol and ZOOF apps transmit traffic warnings before the driver reaches the congestion. At the moment, the infrastructure is only being used by the Shockwave traffic jam services provided by FlowPatrol and ZOOF, but drivers on the A58 can expand their service to parti

TomTom has teamed up with Truck Parking Europe (TPE) to make its popular app available for TomTom customers. Users of TomTom Bridge driver terminals as well as the TomTom PRO 8 series, which is TomTom’s high-end driver terminal that is fully compatible with TomTom Webfleet, will be able to download the app directly onto the devices. By bringing together TomTom’s Remaining Driving Time (RDT) app, which reminds drivers when the next stop is due, and the TPE app which shows where suitable truck parking spots a

ITS America 2016 San Jose will kick off the three-day event by launching its first-ever V2X High School Lab (V2XHS). San Jose area students will participate with Michigan students in a V2X connected vehicle open, hands-on laboratory where, utilising a 3D printer, they will design and build their own connected and autonomous vehicles. “ITS America 2016 San Jose brings with it a commitment to the community of San Jose by serving as an incubator for next generation ITS. By partnering with Mobile Comply and S

Crown International has been awarded a US$547,000 (£375,000) contract by Balfour Beatty to supply and install variable height dual unit enabled PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) masts, as part of the Smart Motorways project on the M5. The masts will be used between Junctions 2 and 4a and will be delivered in 2016. Forty-six PTZ 15 metre masts are to be installed along the M5. Each mast will be used to mount infrared equipment and lane monitoring cameras and has been designed for roadside maintenance by a single operative

RATP Dev, the international subsidiary of French state-owned public transport operator RATP Group, and Zain Capital, part of the Lakhraim Business Group, have established a new joint venture in the UAE to provide advanced public transportation solutions. RATP Dev Transportation will be based in Abu Dhabi. In June 2015, RATP Dev signed a partnership with Lakhraim Business Group to set up a joint venture targeting the leading transport projects in the UAE. RATP Dev is currently working on large-scale projects

European Union rules on safety approvals for new cars will need to be revised to include ‘driving tests’ for automated and fully-autonomous vehicles according to a new report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). ETSC says the EU is far from answering the many research and regulatory questions that must be considered before automated and autonomous vehicles can be put on sale. The report says the priority must be ensuring that the promised safety benefits are delivered in real world driving.

German transportation provider Stadtwerke Augsburg is experimenting with warning lights at two pedestrian crossings in the city in an effort to alert oblivious phone-using pedestrians to approaching trams. Rows of flashing LED lights installed into the kerb are intended to act as an alternative to conventional warning signs; when a tram approaches, they flash red to warn pedestrians that the traffic signal is red and green when it is safe to cross.

Dubai has taken a major step towards autonomous vehicles with the launch of its Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, which aims to transform 25 per cent of the total transportation in Dubai to autonomous mode by 2030. The Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy is expected to save US$6 billion in annual economic revenues by reducing transportation costs, carbon emissions and accidents, and raising the productivity of individuals as well as saving hundreds of millions of hours wasted in conventional tr

The London Borough of Enfield is deploying the latest digital ANPR system from Videalert as part of a major ongoing contract with OpenView Security Solutions Limited, the council’s incumbent provider of CCTV installation and support services and one of the UK’s largest independent security system integrators. The system has already been installed at eight locations, where it has replaced the existing legacy NDI Recognition Systems equipment, and will be extended to a further fourteen locations across the b

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) have awarded Init a contract valued at more than US$30 million for the implementation of a smart card and mobile ticketing solution for use across TheBus and the Honolulu rail transit systems. The project will be implemented in four phases over the next five years and includes outfitting all 550 of the TheBus agency’s fleet with proximity terminals, mobile data terminals and routers to facilitat