News

The government of Canada is investing CAN$2.5 million over five years to tackle drug-impaired driving in the province of Prince Edward Island. The move is part of a CAN$81 million package to support public and road safety activities. Funding will help train more police officers in standardised field sobriety testing and drug recognition expert evaluation. The money will also be used to purchase approved drug screening devices and develop standardised data collection and reporting practices to analyse

Wayne State University in Michigan is to open a centre for advanced mobility to offer more degrees and certificates in autonomous driving, smart infrastructure and electrification. Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the Wayne State College of Engineering and Computer Science professor, says: “The Center for Advanced Mobility will be the epicenter for academic and start-up activity in the mobility sector for students, researchers, and global corporate partners in Detroit.” The Center for Advanced Mobility will utili

Micromobility firm GetCharged has unveiled a charging and docking station for electric scooters in New York City. Andrew Fox, GetCharged co-founder, says cities continue to use micromobility as an option to “ease pressures on public transportation and congestion”. "However, significant pitfalls remain with the dockless model, such as cluttered streets and sidewalks and the risk of fire when charging multiple scooters in residential buildings, he continues. “Charge provides vital infrastructure for riders

The Toyota Mobility Foundation is to carry out a study on using connected car data to inform road maintenance in Akaiwa City, Japan. The study will combine connected car data and image data from vehicle video cameras to help local governments shorten lead time to uncover dangerous road infrastructure issues. As part of the study, Toyota held a conference with Okayama University and the city’s police to develop a sustainable low-cost system for road maintenance. Other topics included traffic safety, tr

EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company, is to carry out an urban air mobility pilot in the city of Guangzhou, China. Hu Huazhi, founder of Ehang, says the pilot will explore “the various meaningful ways in which AAVs can solve some of the stressors our congested cities face.” EHang will help the Guangzhou government establish a command centre to help ensure that multiple AAVs can fly safely. In addition, the company intends to help the city build up the basic infrastructure to support u

Family-owned business Feiring Bruk, which operates primarily in eastern Norway where it has 10 sites extracting and producing crushed stone, gravel and asphalt, has announced an 88% reduction in fines as a result of its wet processing plant commissioned with CDE.

PTV is combining its resources with IT consultancy MHP to offer an expanded range of solutions including the implementation of digital service offerings. Dr. Markus Kirchler, member of the board of management of MHP, says: “We can examine mobility issues in greater depth and, using digital tools, offer our customers greater expertise and quality. This includes the modelling and simulation of various future scenarios and the optimisation of the supply chain.” Dirk Franke, regional managing director central

US technology company Drivewyze has launched a notification service that issues an audible tone and visual alert when a truck approaches dangerous curves or low bridges. Brian Heath, CEO of Drivewyze, says the company’s rollover alerts, on targeted exit ramps and curves, are geo-fenced at 500 locations in 32 states. “We worked closely with our state partners to identify the areas that had higher incidences of rollovers, so our alerts offer an early warning to drivers to check their speed,” he adds. The

Kyocera is to open a research centre that will focus on the development of autonomous vehicles and Internet of Things in the city of Yokohama, Japan. The research centre will integrate resources of three similar facilities in Tokyo which develop software and systems for the automotive industry. Hideo Tanimoto, president of Kyocera, says the company is hoping to “accelerate joint projects with outside partners to develop new businesses”. The new facility is in Minato Mirai, a seaside urban area which is s

Shanghai Keolis - a joint venture with Shanghai Shentong Metro - has opened a new section of the Songjiang tram network, bringing its total coverage up to 27km. Shanghai Keolis says the network now serves 40 stations across the city’s residential areas and universities as well as linking up to the Shanghai metro network. Once complete, the 31km network is expected to carry around 170,000 passengers per day. Songjiang Transportation Investment Operation initiated the project to provide residents liv

UK drivers could be banned from using phones in hands-free mode, following a suggestion from MPs. The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has said that current UK law creates the “misleading impression” that the use of hands-free phones is a safe driving practice. However, there is increasing evidence to show that hands-free usage “creates the same risks of collision as using a hand-held device,” say the law-makers. In its latest report, Road Safety: driving while using a mobile phone, the

The government of Canada has announced $79 million in joint funding to improve public transit in the province of British Columbia. The funding will be used to purchase 118 buses for use in the city of Victoria and the surrounding communities. It also includes ten long-range electric buses. François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of infrastructure and communities for Saint-Maurice–Champlain, says: “This investment in modern, eco-friendly vehicles serving communities across British Columbia will