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Audi is extending its Audi connect services, further promoting networking between car, driver and infrastructure. The trial phase for Audi connect wireless payment is currently getting underway in Ingolstadt, Germany. The solution allows drivers to conveniently pay for parking from their car. In a wide-ranging pilot which is now being launched in Ingolstadt, the new technology will first be tested and the acceptance of the service proven in practice over the next few months. Up to 13,000 cars will participa

Craiova municipality, Romania, is to invest US$2.84 million to implement a traffic management system and ease congestion in the city. Romania’s UTI Group has been awarded the contract which is funded by the EU and comprises: a traffic control system; traffic enforcement; video monitoring; communications and traffic signs.

All 834 city buses in Managua, Nicaragua, are to be equipped with one of the most modern fare collection systems using Arcontia’s Mifare Plus smart cards and NXP’s Mifare AV2 Sam technology, together with Arcontia’s ARC3300 T5 ticket validators. Arcontia’s local partner, prepaid mobile money transfer/payment service company, MPeso has been chosen by the city of Managua in Nicaragua to design and operate their first and major electronic ticketing scheme in the country based on Arcontia’s contactless smart ca

Traffic systems will soon be linked across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A technical team will oversee the implementation of the link that will be used as a core for other services aimed at reinforcing cooperation between member countries, the heads of traffic said as they convened for their 30th meeting.

Cellcontrol, supplier of technology to prevent distracted driving, has launched what it claims is the industry’s first and only driver identification platform, DriveID, which accurately detect who sits in the driver’s seat, and applies a safety policy only to that individual’s mobile devices, leaving passengers free to talk, text, email and browse.

Transport for London (TfL) and the Vehicle Operator Standards Agency (VOSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for closer collaboration and data sharing as part of their ongoing work to reduce the impact of dangerous and unroadworthy vehicles in London. The agreement will pave the way to allow TfL to provide details of every commercial vehicle involved in breakdowns and overheight collisions within the Blackwall Tunnel to VOSA.

Sensys Traffic has received a further order valued at around US$307,000 for speed and red-light enforcement to be delivered to a Latin American customer. Sensys has previously delivered enforcement systems to the same customer; this latest order follows one obtained earlier in May for a similar value. Delivery is expected to take place during the summer, and will be mainly taken from existing inventories.

Peek Traffic has launched the latest version of its IQ Central traffic equipment management software suite for advanced traffic controllers. Intended for the traffic operations centre, IQ Central enables traffic personnel to configure and monitor hundreds of traffic control devices from a central location. New features in version 1.17 include: Greenband analysis; Split monitor; New reports; Voyage support; and SQL Server support. With the ability to interface with legacy intersection controllers, IQ Centra

Swedish contactless smart card supplier Arcontia International is to partner with IT service provider Telexis and Atos Worldline to provide The Hague’s public transport company, HTM, in the Netherlands with the Telexis e-ticketing solution based on Arcontia’s contactless smart card validators. The contract includes the installation of 720 ARC3300 T5 validators on board trams operating in the city. With enhanced user interface and contactless features, the validator enables passengers to pay fares more quick

Merge, a technology from Xerox provides municipalities with a central management system to manage parking operations, integrating hardware and software to provide real-time information about coin collections, meter maintenance, enforcement and occupancy by applying real-time data to solve parking issues. According to Xerox, Merge is the first system to fully integrate and provide analytics on all aspects of metered and off-street parking programs. Merge is built on an open architecture platform that enables

A report by Bloomberg says that rising hacking risks to drivers as their cars become increasingly powered by and connected to computers have prompted the US’s auto-safety regulator to start a new office focusing on the threat. “These interconnected electronics systems are creating opportunities to improve vehicle safety and reliability, but are also creating new and different safety and cybersecurity risks,” David Strickland, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said at a recent Senat

The Green Parking Council (GPC), which represents companies committed to pursuing environmentally beneficial choices in the parking industry, has recognised TransCore’s participation in the GPC’s growth with a 2013 Leadership Award. Presenting the award at the International Parking Institute annual meeting, Paul Wessel, executive director of GPC, explains, “We applaud and recognise TransCore for their commitment to GPC as a founding partner as we strive to transform the face of the parking industry. Trans

Blackpool Transport in the UK is expanding its partnership with transport ticketing technology specialists Parkeon after awarding the company the contract to deliver a multi-faceted platform as part of the on-going NowCard ITSO smart ticketing scheme, together with a commercial smartcard solution that will utilise the area’s extensive PayPoint retail outlets. The contract will see 150 electronic ticket machines (ETM) installed as replacements for the company’s TGX150 machines, which will have been in servic

UK local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council is installing state-of-the-art traffic electronic messaging signs around the outskirts and within Bath to provide better travel information for drivers entering the city. The variable message signs (VMS) will provide a range of information including incidents, events, car park space availability, and encourage motorists to use Park and Ride – all from the Council’s existing traffic control room at the touch of a button. The improvements to driver infor

The Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick are contributing funding for several new Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects. The total cost of the projects is estimated at US$415,000, with the federal government contributing up to US$204,000 under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program and the Province of New Brunswick providing US$211,000. The projects include: the commercial vehicle preclearance system, designed to reduce the number of times compliant vehicles need to stop