News

Swarco is expanding its telematics solution from Ctrack by Inseego to include the Driver Mobi app to promote responsible driving across its van fleet. Swarco says Driver Mobi communicates driving scores to staff via a smartphone alongside company or team average scores. Drivers can use the online feedback to identify individual areas of improvement, the company adds. Additionally, a smartphone-enabled vehicle checklist will allow users to complete their safety inspections electronically, providing t

Voom is offering helicopter flights to five airports in the San Francisco Bay Area which it says will provide an affordable way to fly over traffic. Voom CEO Clément Monnet says: “Our service will make it easy and affordable for business travellers to travel quickly from locations such as the San Francisco airport to San Jose in only 20 minutes, rather than sitting in traffic for hours trying to get to a meeting.” Voom, an Airbus company with operations in São Paolo and Mexico City , can pool up to five

Indian transportation officials will meet this month (October) to discuss implementing a ‘One Nation One Tag’ policy to replace multiple smart tags being used on toll roads. The Times of India says the Fastag RFID-based smart tag is being used to pay tolls on the national highway network – but that commercial vehicles must have a separate tag to enter Delhi. An unnamed official is quoted as saying: "Why should people be made to buy multiple smart tags to pay toll on different roads? There have been comp

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is to ban ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft from picking up passengers outside its terminals. The draconian move, which is planned to come into force later this month, is in a bid to reduce congestion at the airport - although the Los Angeles Times reports that passengers will still be able to book rides home from a parking lot near Terminal 1, which can be reached by airport shuttle. Questions over ride-hailing’s contribution to gridlock continue to

Roads in the Netherlands have become more dangerous over the last decade, according to one of the country’s leading road safety experts.

Kapsch has received certification for the RIS-9160 and RIS-9260 connected vehicle roadside units (RSUs) from the OmniAir consortium. The green light from OmniAir confirms RSUs meet operational standards set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers and specifications from the US Department of Transportation (USDoT). The company says each unit enables Vehicle to Infrastructure communication when implemented with corresponding in-vehicle on-board units (OBUs).

Ford Motor is to launch an autonomous vehicle (AV) transportation service in Austin, Texas, by 2021. Reuters says Ford is testing a self-driving system - developed with Argo AI, an AV technology company backed by Ford - in its Fusion Hybrid sedans. Sherif Marakby, chief executive of Ford autonomous vehicles, says the company is planning to launch the service using hybrids that can carry either people or goods. Argo AI says teams will manually drive the Fusion test vehicles to map the city’s streets an

IBTTA CEO Pat Jones has invoked the example of climate change protestor Greta Thunberg to insist that the tolling industry can help tackle global environmental concerns. Speaking at the IBTTA’s annual meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jones said that members have the power to help arrest what the United Nations calls a “worsening climate crisis”. The event in Canada saw IBTTA members talking about decarbonising transport, the importance of eco-routes and sustainable mobility as ways of ensuring they re

Parisians are to be given a big financial incentive to get on two wheels next year, according to MSN News. The Île-de-France Mobilités transport authority – which covers the city of Paris and outer suburbs - plans to offer residents €500 to buy an electric bike from February. Valerie Pecresse, president of the authority, told Le Parisien she has submitted a proposal to provide a subsidiary for half the cost of an e-bike - capped at €500 - to all residents. On average, an e-bike can cost up to €2,000. "

Cleveland in Ohio is ramping up a programme to improve management of cameras and lighting. The US city is using the T-Light Galaxy Network from ST Engineering Wireless to manage 61,000 streetlights. Cleveland Public Power commissioner Ivan Henderson says the initiative is part of the Safe, Smart CLE Project, which combines the conversion of streetlights to LED with the ST Engineering lighting control system and 1,000 cameras operated by the Cleveland Police Department. ST Engineering says the T-Li

Early bird registrations are open for the 17th ITS Asia Pacific Forum 2020 with the opportunity of saving up to $AUS200 (£109). ITS Australia says the forum, whose theme is ‘ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities’, “will demonstrate Australia’s new initiatives and adapted learnings from the advances of our neighbouring megacities”. Key topics will include Mobility as a Service, autonomous vehicles, data analytics and network development. The event will take place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibit

Taiwan-based Gogoro Network has unveiled a battery-swapping station which it says retains more than 200kWh of energy and supports 1,000 electric scooters per location. The company is utilising artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced algorithms to help ensure batteries are always available for riders in the cities of Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung, Taoyuan, Kaoshung and Tainan. Gogoro founder Horace Luke says: “Gogoro Network is utilising its real-time AI for cloud data analysis to roll out a variety of e