News

Capita Symonds’ Innovations team has secured a contract extension, valued at over US$1.1 million to $11.2 million UK Highways Agency Traffic Information System (HATRIS) contract which will take the project through to the end of March 2012. The HATRIS system, which has been developed and enhanced by Capita Symonds since 2005, is used to monitor and report on vehicle journey times across set routes on the motorway and trunk road network. This enables the Highways Agency and Department for Transport to identif

Dana Holding Corporation has completed two transactions that will enhance its position for further growth in the emerging markets of China and India. The company has increased its stake in Dongfeng Dana Axle Company, a China-based commercial-vehicle axle joint venture, to 50 per cent and has also acquired the commercial-vehicle axle business of Axles India. "We are encouraged by the continued strong performance of the truck and bus markets in China, and of our partner Dongfeng, and look forward to the stren

UK highways servicing contractor, Ringway, has successfully delivered a scheme on behalf of Solihull Council to improve travel links in the Solihull area that includes a new variable bus lane, the first of its kind in the UK.The variable bus lane uses the Ringway-installed CCTV and digital signage to adjust the status of the bus lane in order that it does not remain empty during peak traffic times. “This pioneering bus lane is just one aspect of the ANITA Project, which has seen Ringway provide a dedicated

TomTom has announced the availability of Commercial Vehicle Restrictions integrated into TomTom Pro navigation solutions for the US. In some states, business vehicles can be restricted from using particular roads and classification varies by state and any vehicle that bears commercial license plates must adhere to these regulations.

Connected infotainment will be dominated by connected navigation, with global shipments reaching 27 million by 2016, according to a new report from ABI Research. However, widespread interest in multimedia streaming, social media integration, and in-car Wi-Fi is still unproven.

IBM has teamed with American Honda Motor Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid. This project will demonstrate and test an electric vehicle's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state. With visibility into charging patterns, energy providers will have the ability to more effectively manage charging during peak hours and create c

During this week’s 12th Asia Pacific Forum and Exhibition being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a meeting of the ITS Asia-Pacific board of directors has overwhelmingly endorsed Melbourne, Australia, as the venue for the 2016 ITS World Congress. It is expected that decision will be formally ratified and approved at the ITS World Congress Board meeting being held in Tokyo, Japan, in May. Brian Negus, president of ITS Australia, told ITS International that being selected by nine votes to one over Singapore, th

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that the University of Michigan will conduct a road safety field trial in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which will include the installation of wireless devices in up to 3,000 vehicles in one location, to evaluate the effectiveness of connected vehicle technology to prevent crashes.

AAA Michigan says it is extremely disappointed that legislation which allows some motorcyclists to ride without a helmet on the state's roadways has been signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder. Public Act 98, which has now come into effect, is poor public policy and will increase motorcycle fatalities and injuries, AAA Michigan reports. The repeal erases more than three decades of Michigan's mandatory helmet law. The new law allows motorcyclists to ride without a helmet if they have a $20,000 medical poli

The market for RFID transponders, readers, software, and services will generate US$70.5 billion from 2012 to the end of 2017. The market was boosted by a growth of $900 million in 2011 and the market is expected to grow 20 per cent YOY per annum. Government, retail, and transportation and logistics have been identified as the most valuable sectors, accounting for 60 per cent of accumulated revenue over the next five years. “To date, the automotive sector has been a strong proponent of RFID, largely for immo

Inrix announced today that it has completed the acquisition of ITIS Holdings, a UK-based traffic information company. The acquisition adds US$27 million in revenue and 155 employees to Inrix, and extends its reach to more than 200 leading customers in 30 countries around the world.

Fugro Roadware has won a two-year, US$3 million, contract from the US SHRP 2 (Strategic Highway Research Programme 2), for the collection of roadway data at highway speed, using ARAN’s (Automatic Road Analysers) on selected roads, within the six SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study sites.

As part of Portugal's programme to promote electromobility (Mobi.e), Siemens Portugal has concluded a framework agreement for up to 300 charging points. A binding order for 100 of these charging points was placed by Intelli, the coordinator of the Mobi.e programme. Intelli intends to install the charging points in 25 cities by 2012.

Under a SuperTruck contract established with the US Department of Energy, Volvo Technology of America is scheduled to receive US$19 million in federal funding to be used by the Volvo Group’s North American truck-related operations to improve the freight-moving efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and reduce greenhouse gases.

The Israel National Roads Company has begun to install the first electronic signs in interurban bus stations that will provide passengers with real time information about bus arrival times at the station, with plans to deploy thousands of smart signs throughout the country.