Hollco delivers RC2 to GTM
UK manufacturer Hollco has delivered a new portable traffic light system which it says will cut costs and reduce site visits. Phil Hutchinson, Hollco’s director, says the RadioConnect2 (RC2) can operate for up to 18 days without needing to change or recharge batteries. “It will also mean less disruption for road users and a reduction in unnecessary customer contacts for the contracting organisation,” Hutchinson adds. Go Traffic Management, which has received the new system from Hollco, contributed to
Tern deploys ebike to Deliveroo riders
Urban transportation specialist Tern says its GSD utility ebike will help Deliveroo riders deliver meals faster to customers. The bike’s 200km range is intended to allow the UK delivery service company to expand its radius. Deliveroo says riders will be able to short-cut city traf c and parking issues, the company says. The Tern GSD can carry up to 400lb of cargo and features a specially-designed frame and a Bosch-powered electric drive system.
Brigade Electronics uses ultrasonic waves
Brigade Electronics says its Ultrasonic Detection System can help commercial vehicle drivers who operate in confined spaces or drive at low speeds to detect objects and people in blind spots. The solution scans an area around the vehicle using ultrasonic waves to detect moving or stationary objects - and then sends an alert to the driver. Up to two Ultrasonic Detection Systems can work alongside a camera monitor system. Meanwhile, an on-screen display module mounted inside the cab warns the driver of
UK man refuses to take down fake speed camera on A1 road
A 72-year-old man living beside a major UK road has refused to take down a replica speed camera. The BBC report says Mike Lacey built the fake camera for £40 using drainpipe and guttering to slow drivers passing his house next to the A1 in Beeston, Bedfordshire. Lacey says authorities have asked him to remove the structure as it was distracting for drivers. The village is divided by a dual-carriageway with a speed limit of 50mph.
Nortech launches new range of variable message signs
Nortech says its new range of Variable Message Signs (VMS) can be viewed at distances of up to 50m with a 30-degree horizontal viewing angle. The full-colour LED signs display messages which indicate available parking spaces and status messages. According to Nortech, the multi-level signs are available from two to five level counts which make them suitable for motorways, car parks, corporate offices, airports and hospitals. The signs feature automatic luminance adjustment with the option of manual
Videalert MEV operating at school locations in north-east England
A Videalert mobile enforcement vehicle (MEV) is being used by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in north-east England to tackle illegal parking near schools. The yellow ‘Keep clear’ areas have been identified as locations which put children’s lives at risk.
Councillor Bob Norton, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth & highways, says: “Three accidents involving school children in one year is three too many and we won’t allow this continuing risk to the safety of ch
Copenhagen: everything's gone green
As the ITS World Congress arrives in Copenhagen, Adam Hill finds out how Dynniq has been helping traffic flow – and CO2 reduction - in the Danish capital. Most of the time, ‘breathing easier’ is just an expression which indicates a metaphorical sigh of relief that something has worked out alright. But it can be literally true, too. Respiratory and other potential health problems which stem from pollution in the world’s increasingly urbanised environments have been well publicised and governments are
Ford, Uber and Lyft to share data through SharedStreets
Ford, Uber and Lyft will make data sets available on the SharedStreets platform in a bid to help cities and mobility companies manage congestion, cut greenhouse gases and reduce crashes. The commitment was announced at the second annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York.
SharedStreets is funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies consortium. Its aim is to make it easier for the private sector to work with cities around the world and utilise data to improve mobility.
According to Ford, the partn
Carrots are proving cost-effective in Netherlands
There are lessons to be learned from congestion avoidance schemes in the Netherlands. David Crawford welcomes some new thinking in road pricing. Highway operators worldwide are being urged to learn from Dutch experience in using financial carrots rather than sticks to encourage drivers to avoid contributing to congestion. A Netherlands/UK group makes a convincing cost/benefit case in a new global survey of road pricing technologies, economics and acceptability. Representing the Rijkswaterstaat section of
Congestion pricing - no such thing as a free ride
The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is likely to increase congestion, many experts believe. But Wes Guckert of Traffic Group believes that tolling could provide the answer. While it is still hard to wrap your head around the idea of getting into a vehicle without a driver, the industry is now used to hearing, reading, participating in the advancement of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Those in the industry have heard about Uber delivering a shipment of Budweiser, or the convoy of driverless trucks
Shock therapy: jolt for EV charging needed
As sales of electric vehicles accelerate, the growth of charging infrastructure is in need of a big boost. Graham Anderson reports on whether Europe is up to it. Utilities, technology companies and vehicle manufacturers are battling to put in place new charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe in response to a predicted dramatic surge in demand. Market experts believe that rapidly falling battery costs – which make up about one third of the costs of an electric car – and growing
Semcon to trial autonomous snow ploughs at Oslo airport
Semcon will deploy two autonomous snow ploughs to operate at Oslo airport in Norway from January 2019. The technology is expected to allow the airport to streamline activities and reduce delays for passengers.
John Emil Halden, project manager at Semcon, says: “Our aim is to complete 40 operations to ensure that the system is working as intended and see how we can develop it further.”
The initiative serves as an extension of the Yeti Project, in which 20 autonomous snow ploughs were trialled at Norway
Call for papers for ITS World Congress 2019
ITS experts are invited to submit papers to be considered for presentation and publication at the ITS World Congress 2019 in Singapore. The International Programme Committee says submissions must be centred around themes and sub-topics such as crowdsourcing and big data analytics, cybersecurity and data privacy, innovative pricing and travel demand management and intelligent, connected and autonomous vehicles. Entries can also be based on the multimodal transport of people and goods, safety for drivers
EasyMile wins Start Up of the Year from EY
Driverless technology company EasyMile has been awarded the Start Up of the Year in France for the south region by international consulting firm EY. The company says the award recognises its innovation and vision - and highlights its growth potential. Gilbert Cagnaire, CEO and founder of EasyMile, received the award at a ceremony in Toulouse. EasyMile will now enter the overall Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Start Up category on 18 October in Paris.
Tata Power and HPCL to implement EV chargers in India
Utility company Tata Power and natural gas provider Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) are to develop a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in India.
Rajnish Mehta, executive director, corporate strategy planning and business development, HPCL, says this will help EV drivers overcome issues such as range anxiety.
“We believe that a robust network of charging stations is very critical for market acceptability of EVs which will also ensure last mile connectivity and thereby facilitate widespr
SRP to accelerate development of future transport systems in UK
Avia, BP, Hastings Direct and Honda R&D have been named as founding members of a shared research programme (SRP) to test and develop transport technologies in the UK.
The SRP is investing in a three-year year project at the Smart Mobility Living Lab: London (SMLL) led by the Transport Research Laboratory and DG Cities – the commercial arm of Digital Greenwich.
SMLL, a set of routes in and around the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (site of the London 2012 Olympics), is
CTS to upgrade LAMetro’s automatic fare system
Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) will upgrade the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority’s (LAMetro) automatic fare collection system, in a contract valued $22m. The system links to 25 regional agencies through the TAP smart card. CTS will develop an integrated app over the next 18 months. The company will also launch TAPforce, a cloud-based account which will allow commuters to take part in LAMetro’s Mobility as a Service programmes for parking and bike-sharing. Matt Newsome, general manager
Intrepid Control Systems launches open platform OBD interface
Intrepid Control Systems says its NeoOBD2 Pro software development kit provides easy access for WiFi/BLE applications to available vehicle networks like CAN/CAN FD, LIN, and Ethernet. Developers can use the open platform OBD interface for automotive enterprise internet of things and wireless car applications, the company adds. The company’s NeoVI Ion, an expandable vehicle network adapter, logs vehicle data and transmits it via cellular or WiFi to the wireless neoVI server. Users can remotely download
MaaS to replace 2.3bn annual car journeys by 2023, says Juniper
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms will replace over 2.3 billion urban private car journeys by 2023, according to new research.
This compares with 17.6 million globally in 2018.
According to the study from Juniper Research, western Europe will account for 83% of global MaaS trips in 2023.
Mobility-as-a-Service: Emerging Opportunities, Vendor Strategies & Market Forecasts 2018-2023 says Helsinki, Finland, will lead MaaS implementation, followed by Stockholm, Sweden and Vienna, Austria.
McCain’s ATC cabinets used in Los Angeles corridor project
McCain has supplied 10 Advanced Transportation Controller (ATC) cabinets for a newly opened corridor in Los Angeles which is expected to be safe for all users.
The My Figueroa Corridor Streetscape Project (MyFig) was unveiled by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADoT). It covers four miles of streets stretching from the downtown area to the south part of the city.
McCain says its 351 ATC cabinets has doubled the corridor’s output channels to 32, which will allow the city to add more sign