News

The Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology has joined forces with IBM to set up an information technology research lab in Nairobi. Scheduled to open shortly, the lab will focus on solving traffic congestion and automate other sectors of governance. The research lab is also expected to help people make better use of public sector services and allow the government to digitally store huge amounts of data.

TomTom has announced a 10-year partnership with VMZ Berlin, the operator of Berlin’s traffic information centre, to provide real-time traffic information for Berlin and for selected parts of the state of Brandenburg. “We chose TomTom because its traffic product offers coverage that extends beyond traditional methods of traffic detection, such as loops, cameras or infrared sensors,” said Reinhard Giehler, managing director VMZ Berlin. “We believe that traffic flow and road network utilisation in the region w

Aberdeen City Council in Scotland will be able to order ten hydrogen buses, after funding of US$5.17 million was confirmed by the government. An integrated so-called whole hydrogen system will be developed by Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution with the aim of producing and storing hydrogen by harnessing wind energy ans would fuel the buses. It is hoped that the first such buses in Scotland will be operational in under two years.

The Saudi Arabian government has approved plans to modernise the transport system in its holdy city of Mecca which will include four metro railway lines with 88 stations and a combined length of 182 kms. The transport plan, which will cost US$16.53 billion, also includes building a bus network in Mecca. Saudi Arabia is also spending billions on upgrading the transport system in the capital Riyadh and on a high-speed rail line connecting Mecca with the holy city of Medina.

Less than a year after it launched, CrashMap.co.uk has been updated with the all the latest UK government data on road traffic crashes and new features to help community groups and campaigners. The website uses data collected by the police about road traffic crashes occurring on British roads where someone is injured. This data is approved by the National Statistics Authority and reported on by the Department for Transport each year. The site uses data obtained directly from official sources but compiled in

ITS America has honoured Meritor Wabco, a leading supplier of safety and control systems for commercial vehicles, with a national award recognizing OnGuard, the first radar based collision safety system to include collision warning, adaptive cruise control (ACC) with active braking and a collision mitigation system (CMS). The system assists the driver in maintaining a safe following distance and reduces the risk of rear-end collisions.

The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD, an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries that acts as a strategic think tank for global transport policy and organises an annual summit of transport ministers, has announced that internationally renowned academic José Viegas of Portugal has taken office as secretary-general of the organisation. Elected by Ministers from Forum member countries at their summit in May, he joins the ITF from an internationally recognised career as an academi

Wabtec Corporation’s MotivePower subsidiary has signed a $45 million contract with Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario and the regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), to repower 11 locomotives with new engines and propulsion systems that meet significantly higher environmental standards.

The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) has prepared tender documents to invite consultants to upgrade the aesthetics of the island republic’s existing traffic lights. It says it will conduct a pilot study, beginning with the Marina Bay area, where the new traffic lights would be designed to better suit the area's iconic streetscape. They should also have the ability to carry external equipment, like surveillance cameras. In addition, the design should include means to prevent "unauthorised stickers" o

Q-Free has been awarded a new frame agreement for delivery of tolling tags from Centro Gestao Meios de Pagto (CGMP), Brazil's Centro tag distributor, valued at US$12, with a guaranteed volume of just over $4 million.

Frederick County, Maryland, has turned to Xerox and its CrossSafe programme to monitor children getting on and off of the buses and record drivers who pass illegally. The company will provide the technology, software and process the violations and maintain the programme under a five-year contract. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office will review and verify all violations before they are issued.

UK company Traffic Technology has deployed sensors from its Eco Pyro range to monitor pedestrian visitors to the historic Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The network of monitors will provide information for staff and resource allocation and as a performance indicator to monitor the success of the many major events held in the gardens.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen, Germany, have developed CryoSolplus, an innovative new coolant that conducts heat away from an electric vehicle battery much more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.

During a one week trial, Tussam, the bus services operator in Seville, Spain, issued 67 notices to cars parked in bus lanes, advising drivers that they are parked in lanes reserved for public transport, which includes taxis as well as buses. At present, the notices are just a warning but from 1 October 2012, Tussam will start fining cars €200 (US$246) and two points will be deducted from an offending driver’s licence. The aim of the enforcement campaign is to increase the average speed of buses in Seville

Spain-headquartered Indra has become the technological leader for Medellín's traffic and transportation systems after being awarded two contracts valued at just over US$11 million. The first contract, awarded by the Medellín Subway, will allow the city to have an intermodal public transportation system that is unique in Colombia and will facilitate the management and the combined use of the subway and buses.