Consortium gets £4.7m to investigate AV technologies
An industry group led by Jaguar Land Rover has been given a multi-million pound grant to increase the road performance and safety of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies. The AutopleX consortium – which also includes INRIX, Highways England, Siemens, Transport for West Midlands and University of Warwick - is to receive £4.7 million as part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles’ CAV3 competition. It is tasked with developing fully- and semi-automated vehicle technologies through simulation an
Canadian government invests in electric bus infrastructure
The government of Canada will invest CAN1.2m into the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority’s (TransLink’s) demonstration project to install overhead charging stations for electric buses in Vancouver. The fund follows a commitment to support initiatives that provide citizens with more options for clean driving. Bus manufacturers New Flyer Industries and Nova Bus will develop the electric transit buses while ABB and Siemens will develop the chargers. These companies will also evaluate the
2getthere tests buses for Brussels Airport
Autonomous driving specialist 2getthere is to test self-driving electric buses for deployment at Brussels Airport. The tests will be carried out at 2getthere’s site in Utrecht next year without passengers, with a view to further testing at the airport itself in 2020 on a route in the Brucargo business zone.
The move stems from an agreement, signed in 2015, between public transport group De Lijn and Brussels Airport Company. “This technologically innovative project deploying a self-driving electric bus
Teleste to deliver Alstom with on-board solution for greater Lyon metro
Teleste’s on-board solution will help Alstom remotely manage and deliver infotainment to Greater Lyon metro trains in France. Initial deployment will begin this year. Under the contract, Teleste will provide systems for passenger information, public address and intercommunication as well as Mitron displays for 30 metro trains. The company says the solution, based on standard interfaces, supports seamless integration of the on-board systems to other metro subsystems and the management system.
In addition
Technology ‘can challenge car ownership’, Whim’s Hietanen will tell conference
Technology now provides transport operators and authorities with an opportunity to compete with car ownership in the minds of consumers, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) inventor Sampo Hietanen will tell the forthcoming MaaS Market Conference in Atlanta.
“Cities worldwide are facing increasing congestion and pollution, putting additional pressure on their transport systems. Technology now has the potential to change the way people travel and MaaS brings all travel options together in one seamless on-demand
EU passes testing rules to avoid ‘Dieselgate’ repeat
The European Parliament has rubber-stamped new rules following the Volkswagen emissions scandal which seek in part to increase the quality of testing. The idea of the reforms for the type approval process is to ensure that vehicles act on the road in the way that they have been tested in laboratory conditions.
The agreement, which has been two years in the making, requires national market surveillance authorities to check 1 in 40,000 vehicles registered in the country the previous year, with at least 20% o
Kapsch to upgrade Maryland’s toll collection equipment
Kapsch TrafficCom will replace all of Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA’s) roadside tolling equipment.
For the upgrade, valued $67m (£47m), Kapsch will utilise radio-frequency identification (RFID) toll readers, automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and scanners in the mixed-mode lanes. The company will also install its stereoscopic vehicle detection and classification sensor (nVDC) in the all-electronic toll lanes.
Need for co-operation highlighted at MaaS Market Atlanta conference
City authorities worldwide need to work more closely together to
shape the future of on-demand transportation services. Such co-operation could help reduce congestion and pollution, and improve the lives of citizens - that is the view of leading international experts who will be addressing MaaS Market – Concept to Delivery – the third Mobility as a Service (MaaS) conference to be run by ITS International.
Cyclists are ‘not hooligans’: study
The perception of cyclists as ‘hooligans’ who ignore the rules of the road is a false one, according to a new study. "From our observations, we are unable to see any such anarchy among cyclists in traffic," says Sonja Forward, researcher at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). As vulnerable road users (VRUs), cyclists’ behaviour in traffic is particularly important for their safety. VTI examined traffic on two bridges - Danvikstull and Liljeholmen – in Stockholm and concluded
Via and Mobike offer rideshare and bikeshare package
Via and Mobike have launched a multi-modal transportation bundle in Washington DC that includes rideshare and bikeshare in a single subscription. The project intends to reduce congestion and increase transportation options for residents. Users can purchase a four-week ViaPass that includes free Via rides as well as unlimited access to Mobike’s network of dockless bikes. The partnership is working to expand the offering to other cities.
Chicagoans use Passport parking apps over 40 million times
Citizens of Chicago have used the PassportParking and ParkChicago apps over 40 million times in the last five years to pay for parking from their smartphones, according to mobile payment provider Passport. Both versions of the application aim to enable commuters to extend sessions remotely from their smartphones, allowing commuters on the city’s Metra rail network to take the train while avoiding lines to purchase tickets. PassportParking is the basic app, while ParkChicago is Passport’s customised
2getthere enters partnership to trial AVs at NTU smart campus
2getthere’s Silent Roadstar autonomous vehicles (AVs) will run on the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU’s) Smart Campus by 2019 as part of a partnership which also includes SMRT Services. The project intends to develop transport that will benefit the NTU community and society. Silent Roadstar uses magnetic pellets on the road for autonomous navigation and can travel in both directions. It runs at 40km per hour and can carry 24 passengers. These Group Rapid Transits (GRTs) will be tested in a few
Sweden unveils electrified road to charge vehicles while driving
Swedish minister for infrastructure Tomas Eneroth and director general of the Swedish transport administration Lena Erixon attended the inauguration of an electrified road outside of Stockholm, on the 11 April. The eRoadArlanda will aim to enable commercial and passenger vehicles to be recharged to help make fossil-free transportation a reality. Around 2km of electric rail has been installed along public road 893 between the Arlanda Cargo Terminal and the Rosersberg logistics area. The solution transfers
Gewi and iCone launch Smart Work Zone solution
German traffic software developer Gewi and iCone will launch a Smart Work Zone Programme for North America which will be available worldwide as a commercial off-the-shelf solution for managing roadworks zones.
The products from iCone transmit a warning message generated by the work zone equipment, which can be an arrow trailer, crash truck or other device used for securing accident locations, mowing/ sweeping work or other activities along the road way.
Gewi’s TIC software collects the location and
Matrox Graphics win NAB 2018 Best of Show Award
Matrox Graphics has won the NewBay Best of Show Award for its enterprise encoder appliance, at the 2018 NAB Show. Sound & Video Contractor chose the platform for its ability to simultaneously capture, stream and record up to 4K input from a single appliance. Called Matrox Maevex 6150 Quad 4K Enterprise Encoder Appliance (Maevex 6150), the solution aims to feed on-premises and cloud-based servers to reach internet viewers and push streams over local area network for local audiences. The innovation can also
Berg Insight: free floating car sharing served 5.6m members 2017
Free floating car sharing services utilised 40,000 vehicles and served 5.6 million members in 2017, according to a report released by Swedish internet of things firm Berg Insight. The study also forecasted that membership of the service will reach 14.3 million using around 102,000 vehicles by the end of 2022.
This service allows members to pick up and drop-off cars anywhere within a designated area where parking is allowed. Users can access available cars without prior booking or be required to schedule
Redvision launch combines thermal and IP, rugged PTZ camera
Redvision has launched a combined thermal and Internet Protocol (IP) rugged pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera for tough, hazardous and corrosive outdoor environments.
Called Volant Duo, the device comes with a dual-adaptive infra-red and white light Light-emitting diode illuminator option to provide lighting for its Starvis sensor up to 150m in darkness.
Stephen Lightfoot, technical director at Redvision, said: “The Volant Duo offers both thermal and IP sensors in the same rugged, PTZ camera body. The
Conduent to deliver ticketing system in Northern Italy
Conduent will deploy its Fare Collection System across the Lombardy region of northern Italy as part of a project that intends to enable transit agencies to offer seamless travel to passengers. Installation of the system is scheduled to start in the second half of 2018.
Regional operator of passenger trains, Trenord and seven other transit agencies are involved in the project. Conduent will provide eight ticketing projects for metro, bus and suburban train services.
Bartco UK appoints new ITS development manager
Variable Message Sign (VMS) manufacturer, Batrco UK has appointed Matt Felce as ITS development manager, where he will be responsible for product development, testing and legislative compliance. Felce will also work with Australian sister company Bartco Traffic Equipment PTY’s head of research and development (R&D) David Chamberlain to implement a joint global product development strategy.
Masabi enters partnership to make India’s public transport more convenient
Mobile ticketing company Masabi and provider of journey planning Chalo will combine their resources to create a solution that aims to make public transport in India more convenient for passengers.
Additionally, the partnership intends to enable public transport operators to offer smarter digital ticketing solutions to commuters and facilitate a seamless ticketing experience through mobile devices.