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More than 100 UK local authorities say they have no plans to increase their number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points. These findings have been revealed from freedom of information (FoI) requests submitted by the Liberal Democrats and shared with The Guardian newspaper. According to the report, Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat former energy and climate change secretary, says the lack of investment in charging points is due to “cuts to council budgets”. “Unless there is urgent action to tackle our out

A traffic signal control scheme in Utah is being taken up by other US authorities. David Crawford finds out how the Beehive State is leading the way in DoT and driver savings Growing numbers of US state departments of transportation (DoTs) and their road users are gaining real financial benefits from an advanced approach to traffic signal monitoring recently developed in Utah. Central to the system is its use of automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPM) technology, brought in to improve th

The gig economy is reshaping the way we think about travel and recreation – but when it comes to whether it increases congestion, there’s no simple answer, finds Adam Hill

Asfinag’s Manfred Harrer and Peter Meckel talk to Jason Barnes about the organisation’s first steps towards C-ITS deployments - and why ITS-G5 will be the underpinning standard For quite a number of years, it was assumed that the connectivity required for cooperative ITS (C-ITS) applications and autonomous vehicle (AV) operations would be catered for by a bespoke communications solution/protocol. This would provide localised ad hoc communication in a manner similar to Wi-Fi, and the dedicated bandwidth/n

French electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Groupil Industrie is using Geotab’s connected fleet management platform to optimise its fleet. Geotab, a UK connected transportation firm, says its platform will provide Groupil with access to technical vehicle and battery management data to improve its overall suite of manufactured EVs. Edward Kulperger, vice president of Geotab for Europe, says: “We believe that the fleet industry is poised for mass EV adoption, which is critical for not only ensuring imp

St. Louis public transport operator Metro Transit is launching a new real-time information and trip-planning mobile app covering the US region, which includes parts of Illinois and Missouri. Jessica Mefford-Miller, executive director of Metro Transit, a public transport operator, says: “With this app, our customers can check real-time information, get the latest service alerts, look up schedules, and plan multimodal trips – all from the palm of their hand.” Called Transit, the app will allow riders to

ITS manufacturer AGD Systems has acquired Radix Traffic, a UK manufacturer of rotating cone tactile equipment to assist visually impaired pedestrians at signalled crossings. AGD says the Radix tactile indicator allows a blind or partially-sighted person to hold a cone which protrudes from the signal. When it is safe to cross, the cone starts rotating as the green man appears. Brian Cherry will serve as a director of the Radix division of AGD Systems to assist in the transition of the company’s produ

Telecoms operator Spark has joined forces with Ohmio Automotion to trial a 5G-connected driverless car on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand. The test was carried out in a controlled area at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct, using Spark’s pre-commercial 5G network, which is available as part of its 5G Innovation lab. Spark launched the lab last November and is now using it to work with businesses in New Zealand to test the technical capabilities of 5G. Ohmio’s driverless car has b

Automobile components company Tata AutoComp Systems has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to supply Tritium’s chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) in India. Tata says Tritium’s Veefil-RT DC fast chargers supply power to a range of EVs, including two-wheelers, passenger and commercial vehicles. David Finn, co-founder of Tritium, says the MoU coincides with the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacture of Hybrid and EVs) scheme. “The FAME policy is among the most progressive initiatives in the

Draft legislation which will underpin future services such as connected vehicles has been put before the European Parliament and Council this week. Aimed at harmonising cooperative ITS deployment, the C-ITS Delegated Act - a leaked draft of which had circulated widely within the ITS industry – will in effect decide, for example, what communications protocols are to be used as C-ITS develops. The draft suggests that the eventual law will be technology-neutral, although the fact that it is using the exi

Siemens Mobility has opened a Digital Lab for Intelligent Traffic Systems in Texas to collect and analyse data to develop digital urban mobility technologies. Siemens says the lab will mainly focus on new technologies such as connected and self-driving vehicles, advanced traffic management systems, multimodal transportation, shared mobility, electric bike-sharing and fleet management. Located in downtown Austin, the lab’s software developers and data scientists will develop solutions which seek to imp

Hot on the heels of a similar plan in Los Angeles, serial entrepreneur Elon Musk has been given the green light to build underground ‘express-route’ tunnels in Las Vegas, US. The decision by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) will allow Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) to construct and operate a people mover for the Las Vegas Convention Center. The service, expected to cost $35-$55 million, will operate via a loop of tunnels that could carry up to 11,000 passengers per hour in autono

Cohda Wireless is to provide Vehicle to Everything (V2X) hardware and software for a pedestrian crossing solution in Estonia which is expected to reduce road accidents and fatalities. The crosswalk, created by mobility developer Bercman Technologies, comprises electronic signage positioned at either side of the road to warn vulnerable road users (VRUs). Cohda Wireless CEO Paul Gray says: “The Smart Pedestrian Crosswalk Solution will leverage our V2X technology to alert VRUs of cars and other vehicles

Chinese auto maker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has entered into a partnership to launch cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) and 5G-enabled cars in 2021. Geely says it is working with Qualcomm Technologies and technology group Gosuncn to offer 5G and C-V2X to select vehicles operating at SAE International Level 3. At Level 3, the driver can safely turn their attention away from driving tasks while the vehicle handles situations which call for an immediate response. The driver must be prepared to in

Indra is launching Air Drones, a set of solutions for managing air traffic for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at local, regional and national territories. The company says Air Drones is designed to ensure the safety of air operations for drones that fly in densely populated urban environments, rural areas and near airports, where security requirements are strict. Indra’s new Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system will organise all the traffic, identifying each aircraft and controlling its access a

Moovit is adding SpotHero’s parking facilities to its multimodal trip planner in a bid to make commuting easier in the San Francisco Bay Area. Moovit says users will be able to find parking facilities nearest to their transit station, removing the need to circle for parking. Yovav Meydad, Moovit chief growth and marketing officer, says: “Commuters can help reduce congestion simply by parking at transit hubs, and riding public transit for the ‘last mile’ of their trip.” The partnership will help u

Trafficware has upgraded its ATMS central traffic management system to include user interface customisation enhancements and metadata for connected vehicles. Trafficware, part of Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), says the ATMS 2.9 brings traffic network data into a single repository for a real-time view of traffic operations. Jon Newhard, vice president and general manager of Trafficware, CTS, says the solution improves the company’s connected vehicle capabilities. “Through deploying connected

Grab has partnered in Indonesia with property developer Sinar Mas Land to strengthen BSD (Bumi Serpong Damai) City’s position as an integrated smart digital city. BSD City is an urban planning scheme which combines housing, business and commercial property over approximately 6,000 hectares. Grab is to provide smart mobility solutions, support small and medium enterprises and encourage technological development. Michael Widjaja, group CEO of Sinar Mas Land, says the company is developing an integr

Bharat Heavy Electricals is setting up a network of solar-based electric vehicle chargers (SEVC) on the Delhi-Chandigarh Highway in India to help alleviate range anxiety for drivers. The company says the SEVC chargers are being set-up over the 350km stretch between Delhi and Chandigarh to bolster confidence for using EVs for inter-city travel. Each SEVC station will be equipped with a rooftop solar power plant to supply green energy and EV chargers, the company adds. As part of the project, Bhar

The British Safety Council (BSC) and Kings College London have launched an app for outdoor workers to measure exposure to air pollution – an increasing preoccupation for the ITS industry. The Canairy app could help improve workzone safety by providing employees, and their bosses, with information to help them reduce exposure to air pollution. The app is being launched as part of the BSC’s ‘Time to Breathe’ campaign, which seeks to encourage companies, policymakers and regulators to take the risks of