News

The tremendous growth in the amount of available weather and road condition information—including devices that gather weather information, models and forecasting tools for predicting weather conditions, and electronic devices used by travellers — has led the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop effective and specific guidelines for communicating road weather information in a way that is consistent with what travellers need, want, and will use when making travel decisions.

According to a new market research report ‘Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Market - Trends, Adoption & Worldwide Forecasts (2012 – 2017)’ published by MarketsandMarkets, the total market is expected to reach US$24.75 billion by 2017, at a CAGR of 12 per cent from 2012 to 2017. . North America is the market leader in the overall ITS market; followed by Europe and APAC. In the rest of the world (ROW), the Middle East, and Africa are the largest contributors.

Qualcomm Enterprise Services (QES) has been named the leading commercial telematics service provider (TSP) in the latest competitive assessment released by ABI Research. The company’s global reach, dominant market share, and intuitive product range were all fundamental to securing the top spot. Telogis, Trimble, Masternaut, and Xata complete the top five.

The number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) travelling through Carlisle’s city centre in the north east of England is estimated to have been reduced by more than a third since the US$276.5 million Carlisle Northern Development Route opened in February 2012. Information gathered from a network of 20 permanent and temporary traffic counters dotted around the city showing ‘before and after’ CNDR road usage is starting to build a more meaningful picture of the benefits the new road has brought to Carlisle.

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.

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.