News

Austrian-based traffic technology group Swarco has appointed Cees de Wijs as its new Chief Executive Officer. De Wijs, who has almost 20 years of experience in traffic and transport telematics across all transport modes, will take up his new position on 1 January. De Wijs, aged 45, is a Dutch national and holds a PhD degree in engineering from Delft University of Technology. He previously worked for Royal KPN Group and Logica where he was transport and logistics group director, responsible for the comp

The volume of global transport could double or even quadruple by 2050, according to a new study released by the International Transport Forum (ITF). GDP growth, freight intensity of economic activity and demographic change are important drivers of this growth, but key determinants for the level of future increases are policy choices, according to the ITF Transport Outlook: a report containing long-run scenarios for global transport activity and related CO2 emissions. China and India drive transport volu

New low-level traffic lights designed for cyclists have been authorised for use following safety trials, the first time the lights have been used in the UK, transport minister Stephen Hammond has announced. More than 80 per cent of cyclists favoured the use of low-level signals during the track-based trials of the system, which works by repeating the signal displayed on main traffic lights at the eye level of cyclists.

A new road weather information system developed by Hyundai Engineering and Construction (Hyundai E&C) can provide drivers with reliable real-time traffic and road condition information, says the company. The system, developed in concert with Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Mobis, can help alert drivers of traffic congestion and potentially hazardous road conditions up ahead by collecting data from all cars, such as ambient temperatures and road conditions. It also processes information from various roa

The European Investment Bank (EIB), Europe’s long-term lending institution, has provided further funds to support the latest step in Crossrail’s development with a loan of up to US$814 million to Transport for London (TfL). The facility will be used for financing a fleet of new high-capacity air-conditioned trains as well as a new maintenance depot. Finance contracts were signed in London this week by Steve Allen, TfL’s Managing Director Finance and Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President.

Beginning in the first of quarter 2014, Kapsch TrafficCom is to supply on-board units (OBUs) for Norway’s electronic toll collection system, AutoPass. The Norwegian Public Road Administration, which is responsible for the Norwegian public road network, is currently adapting the standards for on-board units to the European norm EN15509 and will replace the native AutoPass OBUs that are currently in use. Along with Norbit, Kapsch is one of two companies that successfully demonstrated its experience and te

The European Commission has granted funding of US$1.9 million of the total budget of US$2.5 million for the FOT-Net Data project, which aims to make traffic data collected in field operational tests (FOTs) more widely available to researchers. The three-year project will start in January 2014. The EU has supported a number of projects since 2008, enabling testing of the latest vehicle information technology in large-scale field trials. Drivers have been able to test the most promising prototypes or produ

Specialist vehicle activated sign (VAS) and overhead vehicle detector (OVD) manufacturer Coeval Group has been acquired by QAS Asset Finance. Coeval’s owners, Nick Sharp and Gordon Bell have also announced their retirement after 26 years with the business. Coeval’s new managing director Gary Higgins was previously managing director of the TSEU Group that included Traffic Signals UK and Microsense Systems before they were acquired by Telent in 2008. He believes there are significant market opportunit

Dozens of UK towns and cities are set to benefit from government funding to tackle congested local roads and improve key points in the strategic road network, as well as new initiatives to drive forward rail electrification. Measures announced by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin include US$80 million from the Local Pinch Point Fund for 25 congestion-busting local roads schemes, building on 87 already announced this year; confirmation of nearly US$181 million for the M6-Heysham link road, along with

This month saw the start of e-tolling on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) in South Africa, one of the largest electronic toll collection systems for open road tolling in the world, following an announcement by the country’s Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, in November. Kapsch TrafficCom reports that the number of active accounts has been consistently rising following the commencement of the e-toll project in Gauteng, on 3 December. Kapsch anticipates that this trend will continue. Kapsc

ITS Australia has elected its board of directors for 2014, from a strong list of nominees. ITS Australia chief executive officer Susan Harris said the Australian ITS industry was stepping forward to help produce a rewarding and successful ITS World Congress in 2016. “We had more nominations than Board vacancies, which is a sign that the industry is healthy,” said Susan Harris. “A field of enthusiastic industry leaders were nominated and they contested the election in good spirit. We congratulate the s

The Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC) at the Qatar Science and Technology Park scooped two prestigious awards including the Innovation in Traffic Management award, and the Road Transport Technology award at this year’s Gulf Traffic exhibition and conference for its Masarak iTraffic system. Masarak is an intelligent platform and integrated suite of services developed by QMIC in partnership with the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning in Qatar. Masarak’s iTraffic system is a comprehensive so