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Bosch and Daimler have obtained approval to operate an automated parking system that requires no safety driver in Stuttgart, Germany.

Financial services company State Farm’s research revealed that 62% drivers using adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist “frequently” or “sometimes” read or send text messages State Farm, a financial services company, says these drivers are taking more risks than those without adaptive cruise control (49%) or lane keeping assist (51%). The findings also revealed that 60% of drivers with adaptive cruise control and 63% of those with lane keeping assist admitted to holding a phone while talking ve

Moovit is to integrate Wondo’s urban mobility services into its app in seven cities in Spain and Portugal. Moovit says the deal will allow its users to access multiple public and private transit services, such as bike rentals, car-sharing, ride-sharing, electric scooters and shared taxis. Also, people will be able to get information guidance and book and reserve rides. Wondo’s services will be available to Moovit users from September in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Bilbao, Lisbon and Porto.

Denso has opened an innovation lab in Seattle to develop connected technologies and advance its Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model. In the area of MaaS, Denso is developing cloud computing technology that collects and analyses data from car-sharing fleets and shares it with mobility service providers via the cloud to help improve fleet management. The company will use the lab to collaborate with the city’s technology companies and universities to further develop its cloud computing technology, includ

Google is rolling out its real-time bike-share information on Google Maps to 24 cities in 16 countries. Originally launched in New York City, the service allows people to use Google Maps to locate bike-sharing stations and pinpoint how many bikes are available at a station in real-time. Google has worked with Ito World to incorporate global bike-share data into Google Maps, allowing riders to find an empty space at a station to leave bikes. This ‘bird’s eye view into bike-sharing’ is available in

The government of Japan is to introduce a low-speed electric vehicle (EV) service for elderly people travelling to shopping destinations and hospitals. A report by The Japan News says trial will comprise 10 small EVs called ‘Green Slow Mobility’. Each vehicle will be able to carry up to 10 passengers at a speed of less than 20kph. The Environment Ministry and Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry is hoping the trial will provide an understanding on how to set prices for rides. Munic

A team from the University of Michigan has won the Transportation Technology Tournament for designing a solution to reduce congestion on two interstate highways in the Detroit area. The team presented their solution, Corridor Management in the I-75/I-696 Influence Area, to a panel of judges during a tournament which took place during the Institute of Transportation Engineers annual meeting in Austin, Texas. It focused on mitigating heavy, peak hour traffic volume on I-75 between Detroit and Troy, as

ReachNow has scrapped its car-rental services in Seattle and Portland following a corporate “realignment”, says The Seattle Times. ReachNow offered rentals for BMWs and Mini Coopers and launched a ride-hailing service last year. In May, the company announced to some of its customers that it was shutting down its ride-hailing service, saying that its third-party vendor could no longer support their business. Last November, ReachNow - a BMW subsidiary - integrated car-sharing and ride-hailing int

The government of New Zealand is developing a plan aimed at reducing 750 deaths and 5,600 serious injuries expected on its roads over the next ten years. Anne Genter, associate transport minister, says: “Most roads deaths and serious injuries are preventable and too many New Zealanders have lost their lives or been seriously injured in crashes that could have been prevented by road safety upgrades.” Genter believes the new target can be achieved mainly by increasing investment in road safety infrastr

Siemens Mobility is to install 68 traffic detectors from ADEC Technologies on highway E661 from the municipality of Gradiška to the city of Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Siemens says the TDC3-8 (TLS 8+1) traffic detectors are part of an ITS system which monitors and controls traffic on the highway. The detectors collect statistical traffic data such as the number and classification of vehicles and level of service. Milan Radivojevic, project manager at Siemens Mobility, says the project invo

Lytx, a video telematics provider, is to participate in the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Programme to help drive fleet safety, tracking and management of smart cities. The programme seeks to connect cities, municipalities, government agencies and enterprises with a range of providers offering Qualcomm Technologies’ solutions for smart city applications. Eliot Feldstein, Lytx senior vice president of corporate and business development, says: “By streamlining access to Lytx’s data and technology

The UK government intends to change its building regulations to ensure that all new-build homes with a dedicated parking space are fitted with an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint. The proposals were outlined in a public consultation and are aimed at encouraging the uptake of EVs. Chris Grayling, transport secretary, says: “Home charging provides the most convenient and low-cost option for consumers – you can simply plug your car in to charge overnight as you would a mobile phone.” Additionally,

A self-driving bus trial in the Austrian capital Vienna has been halted after a collision between a vehicle and pedestrian, says Bloomberg. Authorities are now investing the cause of the incident which led to minor injuries. According to Bloomberg, state broadcaster ORF says the Navya vehicle was driving at 7.5 miles per hour when it hit the 30-year-old woman in the knee. In a statement given to The Verge, Navya said witnesses had seen the pedestrian wearing headphones and looking at a mobile phon

Traffic management and enforcement specialist Videalert has launched an electric mobile enforcement bike. The BMW C Evolution e-scooter will enable councils “to enforce a wide range of moving traffic, parking and clean air zone contraventions whilst demonstrating their commitment to reducing emissions”, Videalert says. The company points out that other bike brands can be used “if required” but the BMW has a range of up to 160km plus intelligent energy recuperation when braking and accelerating. I

Hydro is launching a rotating mast arm which it says will improve safety for operators responsible for maintaining traffic signals on multi-lane carriageways. Operators can control the rotating mechanism by using an internal winch located in a separate door compartment at ground level. The aluminium solution can either be installed in the ground or via the retention socket with anti-rotation design. Local technical support is available in the UK.

Nyx Hemera Technologies has released two tunnel lighting addressable control systems (TLACs) which it says provides intelligent control and lighting system management capabilities necessary for smart cities. According to Nyx Hemera, the TLACS-U system is designed for road underpasses and small tunnels while the TLACS-A is aimed at controlling indoor and outdoor parking lots, and dealer car parks. The use of powerline communication allows lighting control over existing electrical wiring and makes the

ADN Mobile Solutions has developed a technology-plus-training tool for bus operators which it says will reduce driver stress, cut emissions and improve the bottom line Public transit is at the heart of future urban mobility. The focus here is, quite rightly, on improving the experience for riders – but there is someone else in the chain who might be overlooked, despite being vital to the success of any operation: the driver. Bus drivers, for example, have a difficult job, combating congestion and the

When it comes to driverless cars, there are many variables – but one thing is for certain: autonomous driving will have a significant impact on vehicle design, says Andreas Herrmann The transition to autonomous vehicles (AVs) means that many of the factors which have shaped automotive design for the past 130 years no longer apply. At present, the design of a car is largely determined by the anticipated direction of travel: the car’s silhouette immediately shows where the front and back are. Driverless ve

San Francisco has become the first US city to ban facial recognition software – and it is a move which has implications for transit agencies as well as police forces worldwide Big Brother is watching you’, goes the famous saying. Well, not in San Francisco he isn’t. Legislators in the Californian city – home to the tech gold rush and embracers of all things forward-looking – have decided that, after all, there should be limits to technology’s hold over us. By a margin of eight votes to one, the city’s

In Ireland, there is low population density and a lot of rain – which can make last-mile journeys a trial. Orla O’Halloran at Arup has some thoughts on how C/AVs could serve rural communities Connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) have the potential to be a vital link for people in rural communities, as part of a wider Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solution. That is the view of Orla O’Halloran, intelligent mobility consultant at Arup. She believes that MaaS needs to be considered in conjunction with ot