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Most EV charging ‘takes place at home’
July 30, 2015
New analysis by plug-in vehicle campaign Go Ultra Low suggests that British motorists could no longer have to rely on the conventional petrol station. More than 90 per cent of electric vehicle (EV) charging takes place at home while total charging volumes have almost tripled since 2014, according to new usage data from leading infrastructure provider Chargemaster. Coupled with bumper uptake of plug-in vehicles – more than 14,500 were registered in the first half of 2015 – the new findings point to the po
Canada invests in new Asia-Pacific Gateway transportation infrastructure projects
July 30, 2015
The Canadian government has announced an investment of approximately US$12 million for nine Asia-Pacific Gateway transportation infrastructure projects in British Columbia that support Asia-Pacific trade and boost the competitive advantages of Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway. These new projects will create jobs and economic growth by reducing bottlenecks, addressing capacity issues and enhancing the efficiency of the transportation system in moving goods, services and people to and from the fast-growing As
European transport investment plan approved
July 30, 2015
EU national representatives have endorsed a proposal to fund hundreds of transport projects worth US$14 billion, reports the European Commission. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) coordination committee, which is made up of representatives of the 28 Member States, approved the funding for 276 projects which the Commission proposed on 29 June. EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said "I am very pleased that following constructive discussions in the CEF coordination committee, the Member Stat
Rapid progress with pure electric buses
July 29, 2015
China is where most of the hybrid and pure electric buses will be made and sold over the coming decade, as discussed in the report by IDTechEx Research, Electric Buses 2015-2025. Given the concentration of government support on long pure electric range from hybrids and the far simpler pure electric buses, the latter are proving very popular. Indeed articulated and double decker buses are available in pure electric form in China. According to the latest statistics from the Chinese bus industry, the total
Dutch companies work together on automated people mover
July 29, 2015
Dutch companies Benteler Engineering Services and transit systems developer 2getthere have teamed up to work on the engineering of the third generation Group Rapid Transit (GRT) people mover vehicle, which will feature all-wheel steering, allowing for even better control of the vehicle and shorter radii in addition to being able to ‘crab’, or drive sideways, at stations. With the system being capable of carrying 5,000 passengers per hour per direction, the companies claim it is an affordable alternative
Siemens opens new traffic service operation in London
July 29, 2015
Traffic technology supplier Siemens officially opens a new regional traffic service operation in London today, solely dedicated to contracts in the capital placed with Siemens by Transport for London (TfL). The brand new depot in Enfield, one of 20 facilities around the country, is a strategic move by Siemens to manage all London activities from one location including two Traffic Control Maintenance Services contracts and the new Detection and Enforcement Infrastructure (D&EI) contract for TfL. The new E
Side road accidents ‘increase by 12% in a year’
July 29, 2015
The number of car accidents involving a driver pulling out of a side road accounted for an estimated 198,000 crashes nationwide last year, according to latest research by Accident Exchange. The accident management company analysed data from 39,000 cases of accidents it handled in 2014 and found that 9% were the result of a motorist emerging from a side road without paying enough attention. That figure in 2013 was 7.9%, representing an increase in real terms of 12% in the space of just 12 months. F
Reduced street lighting has no effect on road casualties and crime, says study
July 29, 2015
Reduced street lighting at night has no impact on road collisions or crime, says a study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with University College London and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Many local authorities in England and Wales have reduced street lighting at night to save money and reduce carbon emissions. According to the UK’s Automobile Association (AA), its 2014 research showed that although night-time accidents in bad weat
New York’s FDR Drive gets LED signage
July 29, 2015
Dynamic LED signs supplier SES America (SESA) has successfully upgraded dynamic message signs (DMS) along Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive in Central New York City, utilising an upgrade process where the housing of the DMS is left intact on its support structure. There is no requirement to remove the sign for the upgrade installation, enabling the upgrade to be installed, tested and commissioned in less than one day. According to SESA, the FDR new high intensity LED signs and energy efficient power controls
Hitachi Rail Europe wins UK first traffic management contract
July 28, 2015
Passengers on some of the busiest commuter lines in the UK can look forward to more frequent and more reliable trains following a deal to provide new traffic management technology on the Thameslink route through central London. Network Rail and the Thameslink Programme have signed a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe (HRE) to deliver a step-change in technology through state-of-the-art traffic management technology.
Latest A9 speed camera report ‘shows improvement in driver behaviour’
July 28, 2015
The latest performance data for A9 speed camera system has been published by Transport Scotland on behalf of the A9 Safety Group, covering the period May 2015 to July 2015 (incidents are quarter two April to June) as an overall assessment of the performance of the route. The report incorporates the first information in relation to collision and casualty figures covering the period from October 2014 to March 2015, which are reported against the average of the equivalent months in the preceding three year
HaCon and Bytemark team up on North American mass transit
July 28, 2015
New York-based ticketing specialist Bytemark is to partner with HaCon, the European transportation IT and data management solutions provider in a deal which is intended to deliver fully integrated, market-specific solutions for real-time journey planning and mobile ticketing to North America. HaCon’s timetable information system, HAFAS, helps millions of passengers stay up-to-date on their connections each day. Combining different means of public and private transport, HAFAS-based journey planners handle
Indian state launches new road accident data management system
July 28, 2015
The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has officially launched its first road accident data management system (RADMS) for the management, analysis and evaluation of road traffic accident data. Designed and developed by TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, the new system streamlines and centralises the management of accident data, making it easier to identify and introduce measures to reduce the volume and severity of accidents. Hosted at the Himachal Pradesh State Data Centre in Shimla, the RADMS,
Nokia’s Here Maps sold to BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen
July 28, 2015
After months of negotiation, Nokia sells the HERE Maps division to the German consortium, BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen for US$2.71 billion, according to the BMW blog. The3 news has yet to be confirmed by Here or the other auto makers. The deal would see HERE Maps turn into an open platform, which all car manufacturers can use for navigation and mapping inside vehicles. The three German car makers plan to offer the platform to Fiat Chrysler, Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Toyota and General Motors, allowing them
High-mileage drivers more dismissive value of speed cameras, says survey
July 27, 2015
High-mileage drivers are more likely than any other type of road user to think speed cameras have ‘little or no influence’ in reducing the numbers of road casualties in the UK, according to a white paper issued by the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ (IAM) Drive and Survive division. The paper, Speed Cameras – The Views of High Mileage Drivers, also found 28 per cent of high-mileage drivers have a negative view of speed cameras – 10 per cent more than other drivers. It also found that more than half o