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Toyota is to invest $600 million in Chinese ride-hailing company DiDi Chuxing and will form a joint venture to develop vehicle-related services for its drivers. The partners intend to expand the connected services of Toyota’s Mobility Services Platform to include vehicle management, maintenance and financing for customers and drivers. Toyota also plans to promote the widespread use of battery electric vehicles for future mobility services in China. The joint venture also includes Toyota’s partne

The International Program Committee is inviting ITS experts to submit their contributions for papers and special interest sessions for the 2020 ITS World Congress in Los Angeles. Focusing on ‘The New Age of Mobility’, contributors will be prompted to select up to three technologies including artificial intelligence/machine learning, automated vehicle, connected vehicle, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, emissions, rural, smart city and truck operations. These technologies fit into eight programme the

Uber has partnered with services provider Sun Mobility to deploy three-wheeled electric autos on its platform in India. Chetan Maini, co-founder of Sun Mobility says: “Our mission is to give users a cost-effective and convenient energy infrastructure solution to accelerate the adoption of EVs (electric vehicles).’’ Sun Mobility will offer its energy infrastructure platform, which includes swappable smart batteries and quick interchange stations to select OEMs for building e-autos. Uber says thi

Antaira Technologies has launched its ARS-7231-AC series, an industrial dual radio wireless unit with router capabilities, which it says can be used in ITS and traffic applications. The solution, embedded with the QualcommAtheros QCA9892 chipset, is expected to offer a wide network coverage with a low-voltage input of 9V and support. According to Antaira, the device can be used as an access point, transparent bridge or repeater. These units allow users to position the wireless antennas in a better s

PayTollo is launching its mobile payment platform for toll roads and bridges in the US states of California, Texas, Florida, Colorado and Washington. The company says the platform reduces costs and the time needed for toll authorities to collect funds by removing the need for paper invoices. According to PayTollo, the solution’s GPS toll recognition technology algorithm and user interface can notify, verify and charge a driver for toll crossings. Alternatively, drivers can also use the tolling sol

Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions has released a software development kit (SDK) for polarised camera modules which it says cuts machine vision application design time and costs. Stephane Clauss, senior business development manager Europe at Sony, says the company has worked with customers to identify key functions for the XPL-SDKW and develop optimised algorithms. “Depending on the dev team and application, a standard polarised-camera application would typically take between six to 24 months,” he co

Aimsun has released a software platform for the large-scale design and validation of path-planning algorithms for autonomous vehicles (AVs). The company says Aimsun Auto allows test vehicles to drive inside digital cities - virtual copies of transportation networks, where users can safely explore the limits of AV technology. Paolo Rinelli, global head of product management at Aimsun, says Auto removes the need to drive around seeking conditions that users want to test or to “script each actor’s behaviou

Teledyne Lumenera has launched a camera which it claims provides automated traffic image analysis, with integrated self-triggering vehicle detection and automated number plate recognition. Built on the Teledyne Lumenera Ls series embedded vision platform, the Ls245R traffic camera is expected to detect vehicles on high-speed freeways and extract number plate information. The company says the camera can extract all data without needing a separate computer, allowing image processing to run all hours by au

Fuel tax revenue in Hawaii is falling - and even in paradise, someone has to pay. Adam Hill talks to Hawaii DoT’s Scot Uruda about a major change in the way the state funds road improvements All over the world, governments, transportation agencies and local authorities are casting around for new forms of revenue as the money from taxes imposed on fuel begins to trickle away. Spending is outstripping tax take as a combination of more efficient internal combustion engines and the increasing take-up of cars

Councils can achieve greater value with multi-purpose traffic enforcement and management platforms, says Tim Daniels of Videalert. But UK authorities could also help deliver solutions by committing to ‘joined up thinking’... Joined-up thinking’ used to be a commonly related governmental phrase and implied a commitment to looking at elements of a problem to deliver a holistic solution. However, the way that successive governments have addressed major issues has demonstrated their inability to achieve join

Cities that bring in mobility services without data might be missing out on areas where demand is highest. Ben Spencer talks to Moovit’s Alon Shantzer about how the company is helping customers to pinpoint the right locations Launching mobility services without taking into account public transportation data can lead to chaos in cities. That’s the view of Alon Shantzer, vice president international sales at Moovit, the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) provider and transit app. “The data we have can define

Trust is the key to encouraging people to take up shared mobility and MaaS services, thinks Cubic Transportation Systems’ Crissy Ditmore. She tells Adam Hill why sharing must be the way forward Crissy Ditmore is on the move. Director of strategy at Cubic Transportation Systems since September last year, she lives in Boise, Idaho, but doesn’t see a great deal of the city as she is “90% of the time on the road”. This is appropriate for someone whose business is working out how to get people from place to p

A new road tolling system is to be implemented in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Sophisticated electronic tolling technology is being installed at the four bridges, Al Maqtaa, Mussafah, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalifa, that connect with Abu Dhabi city. Introducing this tolling system is expected to generate an estimated US$109 million/year in revenue. This will be used to help develop transport infrastructure in Abu Dhabi so as to reduce the reliance on the road network for commuting, improving traf

Videalert has unveiled an air quality monitoring sensor which it says provides councils with instant measurements showing the level of pollution in key locations. Tim Daniels, sales and marketing director of Videalert, says: “The sensor generates real-time data on the level of airborne particulates, including nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, providing councils with real-time insight into the impact of enforcement cameras on improved air quality.” Videalert says the device features a particulate m

BP has partnered with ride-hailing company DiDi Chuxing to develop a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across China. The charging hubs will be available to DiDi’s drivers and the public. The partners also intend to expand into convenience offerings and other fleet services in the future. Tufan Erginbilgic, BP's downstream chief executive, says: “The lessons we learn here will help us further expand BP's advanced mobility business worldwide." Both parties have already opened a pilot s

Veovo is working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to help ease crowded subways in New York as part of a one-year pilot. It follows an agreement made last year between the MTA and Partnership for New York City to launch the Transit Tech Lab to vet technologies designed to modernise the city’s public transit system. Natalia Quintero, director of the Transit Tech Lab, says: “With Veovo's sensors and analytics, the MTA has more reliable data to inform service changes and improve safe

Smart mobility and the increasing digitalisation of transport were among the main themes of this year’s ITS European Congress in the Netherlands. Ben Spencer picks some highlights from conference sessions which considered possible future developments Navigating between the Evoluon conference centre - a former science museum that resembles a giant-sized UFO - and an automotive campus, there was a lot to see at the 13th ITS European Congress in Brainport, Eindhoven. Organised by Ertico – ITS Europe and th

Masabi and transit agency Transfort have launched a mobile and account-based fare collection system for riders in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. The solution allows Colorado State University students to use their existing student ID card (RamCard) to tap to travel when boarding bus services. The system uses Masabi’s Justride account-based back office and allows Transfort to turn on account-based fare for all riders when required. Transfort E-ticket allows riders to buy tickets via their mobile

A 76-year-old passenger travelling on an autonomous shuttle has been injured after the vehicle came to an unexpected stop, says KUTV. Gene Petrie, an employee at the Utah State Tax Commission, was thrown from his seat and hit the handrail near the door, resulting in bruising and black eyes. Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, is quoted saying: “Out of the clear blue, it suddenly stopped, and it wasn’t a slow-down stop. It was a sudden stop.” Petrie went to the hospital f

Bytemark, a company specialising in transit fare solutions and intermodal mobility, has appointed Eric Reese chief operating officer to lead strategic development strategies. Reese previously worked at Gannett Fleming - an American engineering firm - where he served as vice president for business development. Prior to that, he worked as director for global strategy for Scheidt & Bachmann, a company that markets parking and fare collection systems. Additionally, Reese has served as director, revenue