News

The launch of calls for proposals and related activities under the Horizon 2020 work programmes for 2014-15 has been announced. The launch of these calls also marks the launch of Civitas 2020, the next phase of the Civitas initiative which is designed to strengthen sustainable urban mobility across and beyond Europe. The first call, Mobility for Growth, focuses on innovation and technology projects in air, rail, road and waterborne transport, logistics, intelligent transport systems and infrastructure.

Scania will take the lead role in a three-year European research project to develop a system for implementing truck platooning on roads, which it is believed can significantly contribute towards reducing the carbon footprint of trucks. Through the European Companion research project, the partners will identify means of implementing the platooning concept in practice in daily transport operations. The project also includes Volkswagen Group Research, Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology, Oldenburger

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are testing efficiency software for the next six months to streamline traffic and improve air quality. The Freight Advanced Traveller Information Program is expected to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours by improving the information flow between truck fleets and port terminals, according to the ports. “By using Bluetooth proximity readers in and around the marine terminal in conjunction with dynamic routing, the system can communicate where congestion i

Connected services provider WirelessCar is to support Audi in China with call centre solutions, enabling location-based services, infotainment and information features WirelessCar works with the entire telematics network through a wide partner network of wireless providers, call centres, content providers, dealers, government institutions, and others to: explore leading industrial technology; positively get involved in industrial regulation and policies standardisation; and make continuous progress on bu

A new report prepared by Ricardo for the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) to review the air quality impacts arising from the recent rapid increase in the number of low carbon buses in the UK recommends that the legislation needs to consider hybrid technology impacts in the test processes to avoid potential unintended consequences in terms of local emissions. As they mainly operate in urban areas, local emissions from buses are of particular significance. Reviewing worldwide test processes for

Iowa DOT’s Transportation Commission has unanimously approved proposed rules for red light and speed cameras that require cities to prove the devices are needed to improve safety on highways. The rules require a city to perform an engineering analysis of the highway and also present some alternatives to the cameras to address any safety issues. Cities that currently have cameras installed would have to do the engineering study by May 2014. The rules must still go through the legislative approval process

Work on the M1 Junction 19 improvement scheme near Catthorpe, Leicestershire, will start in January, UK roads minster Robert Goodwill has announced today. The US$312.7 million scheme will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability and safety by replacing the existing junction with a three-level junction and improving roads between the villages of Catthorpe and Swinford so local traffic can avoid the junction.

Siemens Mobility and Logistics division has joined an affiliation of infrastructure device makers and operators to expand deployment of vehicle to infrastructure (V-I) communications. The affiliated test bed, organised by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), will focus on deployment of connected vehicle technology, the wireless exchange of critical safety and operational data between vehicles and specific road infrastructure l

Australian facial tracking systems developer Seeing Machines has teamed up with European coach and tour operator Royal Beuk, in a deal that will see the deployment of automated fatigue monitoring systems to ensure driver alertness and safeguard coach passengers. The Seeing Machines fatigue monitoring system is based on patented eye-tracking technology that can detect if a driver is distracted or falling asleep at the wheel. Using sensing equipment that requires no re-calibration between different drive

The Concirrus Connect platform developed by Concirrus, provider of cloud-based software for the Internet of Things (IOT) has been chosen by Collision Management Systems to launch its solution for the fleet risk management market. The new DriveGuard solution utilises next generation telematics technology combined with the latest IOT platform, both from Concirrus to deliver technical flexibility and real-time intelligence for those dealing with the incident and claims process. By gathering more information

Early 2014 will see the deployment of a new traffic management system in parts of Kuala Lumpur. The TrafficSens system, developed by local firm TrafficSens Systems using a government R&D grant of USD$561,272, will utilise TrafficSens traffic signals installed at 62 intersections across the city. By April 2014, the new system will be integrated with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)'s existing automated management system. Using artificial intelligence, TrafficSens will manage the traffic signals based

Dubai and Riyadh’s ambitious transport plans are setting a template for cities around the world to follow, according to a major new study commissioned by Siemens, which is thought to be the most comprehensive of its type ever undertaken. The preliminary findings of the independent study, released for the first time just ahead of the Gulf Traffic Exhibition on 9 December, show that Dubai’s massive and sustained recent investment places it highly in the thirty-plus cities studied, while Riyadh’s high quali

Vaisala’s new road weather management software, RoadDSS Manager is, says the company, more than just a road weather data display. It is designed to be the perfect management tool to help road managers streamline the winter maintenance decision process. RoadDSS Manager combines the sources of road weather information into a single tool, enabling users to access all the information they need to make decisions quickly and then log and monitor operations. In addition to the standard road weather data from

Mobility professionals from across Europe have called for greater coordination of European policies that affect urban and regional transport. Speaking at the 2013 Polis conference, new president Javier Rubio de Urquía said, "We need coordination between European environment, climate, research, energy and transport policies as these have a direct impact on urban and regional transport. This is required to deliver the best sustainable urban and regional transport systems in Madrid as well as anywhere else

Kuwait’s public transport operator, CityBus, has completed the roll-out of an innovative smart card scheme in partnership ticketing technology specialists Parkeon. The bus company, which completes over 65 million passenger journeys each year, is now operating a smart card scheme across its network, utilising Parkeon’s Wayfarer150 ticketing platform, which has been upgraded across the fleet of around 400 buses to meet the requirements of the new system. Data provided by the new system provides CityBus wit