News

According to Germany's Federal Statistics Office, Destatis, the number of people who died in road traffic accidents in Germany increased by 9.9 per cent to 4,009 in 2011 compared to 2010 - the first time in 20 years that the number of fatalities has risen. Paradoxically, the overall number of road traffic accidents registered by the police was down by 2.1 per cent (to 2.36 million in 2011) compared to 2010.

CS America has successfully completed a fast track open road tolling (ORT) project which took just two and a half months to complete, from planning to lane opening, for Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority (RITBA). The lanes will help maintain traffic flow on this busy thoroughfare over Narragansett Bay, which is host to the 2012 America’s Cup World Series.

A European Commission-sponsored research project took a significant step towards vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) when it presented its results at the Dutch DITCM test site in Helmond last week. The event unveiled the Drive C2X reference system, demonstrating for the first time the ability to create a harmonised testing environment across Europe. The research project brings together car manufacturers, research institutes, authorities and information technology providers to provid

Avery Weigh-Tronix, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of weighing equipment and solutions, has completed the takeover of UK-based weighing specialists Central Weighing. Peggi Trimble, general manager, industrial division for Avery-Weigh-Tronix (AWT), said the acquisition would give AWT the opportunity to expand its “global reach” and “bring added-value, innovative products to the market by leveraging existing distribution networks”.

TRW Automotive Holdings has developed a new, active seat belt technology which assists the driver to grasp the belt during the buckling up process. The system, known as TRW's active seat belt presenter, can help to support elderly or less mobile passengers, as well as act as a reminder to fasten the seat belt upon entering the vehicle.

Transit agencies in Quebec, Canada, are going to spend almost a half-billion dollars buying 509 diesel-electric hybrid buses from Nova Bus, a Volvo-owned company, with an option to buy another 679. The 509 new buses will cost $471 million and will be delivered between 2014 and 2016.

Procurement has begun on a US$305 million programme for a bus rapid transit (BRT) network in the Greater Bristol area of England, with construction anticipated to be underway by 2014. The network, which will connect commuter areas of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, will offer a much improved public transport service to the Greater Bristol area. The three schemes that make up the BRT network are at different stages of design prior to build, providing a number of opportunities for contractors. West

GreenTech Automotive (GTA), a US-based manufacturer of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient vehicles, has unveiled its revolutionary MyCar, a two-seat all-electric vehicle that produces zero emissions and provides a range of up to 115 miles (185kms). Former President Bill Clinton and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour attended the unveiling, which also celebrated GTA's relocation to the United States. GreenTech Automotive purchased Hong Kong-based EuAuto in 2010 and relocated the company's operatio

Project management, engineering and consultancy service provider Royal HaskoningDHV has been selected to tackle 30 major traffic bottlenecks in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh over the next two years. ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA) awarded the US$1.84 million contract to DHV following a call for tenders.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide 15,000 vehicles in an exclusive fleet contract with the Paris-based nutritional food company Danone. The first-of-its-kind deal for the Alliance provides a full range of vehicles to Danone in 25 countries for at least five years.

Telent, a specialist in ITS solutions including real time passenger information (RTPI) systems, urban traffic control (UTC) systems, as well as a wide range of traffic signal productS, has opened a new traffic R&D centre of excellence at its UK head office. This new centre brings together Telent’s ITS research and development teams with extensive laboratory and proving facilities and it will also provide full ‘hands on’ customer training.

Peek Traffic Corporation has announced the addition of the VideoTrak-IQ series vehicle detection system to the Florida Department of Transportation's Approved Product List (APL). The system provides the ability to view and monitor four video channels at the same time using a single card, while also providing the ability to easily modify configurations of up to 26 detection zones per channel. The company says that VideoTrak-IQ offers powerful camera options and both the zoom and focus settings of the camera

UK-headquartered AMG has supplied its AMG3700 series transmission solution for the integrated security and surveillance solution at the newly opened Woodsville Tunnel in Singapore. According to Sartah Bullock, the company’s international sales and marketing director, the CCTV surveillance solution for the tunnel complex is engineered to give maximum resilience and performance. The solution operates within a dual redundant configuration with video insertion points providing analogue video, data and Ethernet