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Christos Economou, Deputy Head of Unit dealing with land transport within the European Commission’s DG MOVE, describes a new framework for road charging in Europe to Jason Barnes. Within the European Union (EU), two Directives shape the legislative framework on road charging. Directive 1999/62/EC sets up a number of rules to make sure that national road charging schemes do not distort competition on the internal market or discriminate between hauliers. It is misleadingly called ‘Eurovignette’ after the comm

Global electronic toll collection (ETC) systems revenues are expected to grow from US$4.48 billion in 2013 to US$8.5 billion in 2018, with a CAGR of 14 per cent and North America as the vital region., according to a new report from ABI Research, Electronic Toll Collection: A Key Business Driver for ITS and V2I. The study covers types of ETC (highway, urban, and area tolling), ETC technologies (RFID, DRSC, video, and GNSS/cellular), use cases and benefits, as well as an in-depth review of the main implementa

Investigations continue into the cause of the train crash approaching the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, but suggestions that the train was travelling too fast appear to be gaining weight. Officials say one of the train's drivers has been put under formal investigation. The president of railway firm Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, has said the train in the crash had no technical problems. "The train had passed an inspection that same morning. Those trains are inspected every 7,500km... Its maintenance r

A joint venture comprising Dutch consultancy and engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV and Saudi Arabian Mshari Al-Shathri engineering consultant has been appointed by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transport to prepare a feasibility study and preliminary design for a first public transport system for Dammam. The objective of the system is to alleviate congestion in the area, which has seen significant growth in recent years. Increasing use of private cars has led to congestion and at current growth rates,

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is offering the public a great opportunity to share its views and be a part of the development of the Department's next ITS Strategic Plan. This plan will identify the ITS-related research, development, and education areas that the USDOT will focus on for the rest of the decade. Various opportunities exist for the public to provide input, including an online feedback site.

Schneider Electric is to implement its open road tolling (ORT) solution for Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority’s (CCRMA) expansion of the Port Spur SH550 tolling project in Texas, following successful implementation of the first phase in 2011. The project will link Port Spur to US77, allowing vehicles to bypass the city of Brownsville, ultimately reducing traffic congestion in the area. It will also provide a bypass for local traffic heading to South Padre Island, allowing traffic to be rerouted fro

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an enforcement notice ordering Hertfordshire Constabulary to review its use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. The decision follows the ICO’s investigation into extensive use of ANPR cameras surrounding the town of Royston. The scheme, regularly referred to as ‘the ring of steel’, has effectively made it impossible for anyone to drive their car in and out of the town without a record being kept of the journey.

Designed for industrial applications, Moxa claims its new VPort 26A-1MP IP camera is the world’s first dome-type extreme weather HD IP camera designed to operate reliably in a -40 to 75°C temperature range, without a fan or heater. The rugged and vandal-proof camera is suitable for day and night outdoor surveillance in harsh environments, and is said to delivers superior video performance, DNR and WDR functions and IP bandwidth optimisation.

Digital camera developer Point Grey has announced a new addition to the Grasshopper3 camera family, which features high quality, high resolution CCD sensors with a USB 3.0 interface. The new Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-60S6 camera models are based on colour and monochrome versions of the Sony ICX694, a 1-inch CCD featuring 4.54 micron square pixels and capable of sending 2736 x 2192 images at 13 FPS and maximum bit depth, which uses Sony's EXview HAD CCD II technology to improve quantum efficiency, reduce smear and

Back in 1999 authorities in the United States set aside a section of the 5.9GHz spectrum for ITS. Times were good back then, economies were booming and we collectively looked forward in anticipation to the 21st century delivering on so many promises including those offered by ITS.

Siemens has enhanced the functionality of its SLD4 loop detector which now features length-based classification with configurable outputs which can be set to activate when specific conditions are detected, such as large vehicles exceeding a predefined speed. The detectors offer standard vehicle detection and are also suitable for use in bus, tram and light rail transport (LRT) schemes and other applications where high detection accuracy is required. Designed for maximum reliability and using the latest ind

Ethernet could be catalyst for bringing the automotive industry a step closer to connected vehicles. The latest report from Frost and Sullivan indicates that the need to integrate multiple consumer electronic devices into the car offering connected services and maintaining brand identity has led to a situation where original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are shifting toward higher connectivity options which could power prioritised and personalised services, catering to varied consumer needs. With the parad

A new paper from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy indicates that large-scale introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) into the light-duty fleet would substantially reduce U.S. oil consumption. It could also deliver important environmental benefits- specifically reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants, but these benefits will vary with the source of the electricity used to charge the PEVs. A wealth of policies and programs are in place to support PEV adopt

German software and consulting group PTV Group has become a new member of the Future Living Logistics Lab, an innovation platform for the Australian logistics industry. Established in Sydney, Australia by National ICT Australia (NICTA) in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering and SAP, the Lab is an interactive demonstration space for cutting-edge technologies and a community of industry, research and government experts, working together to find innovative solutions to

The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) in South Africa, which included the addition of new lanes to most of the freeways in the province, has succeeded in reducing commuter travel times, historical data by navigation specialist TomTom showed on Tuesday. In a presentation at an Intelligent Transport Society South Africa conference, TomTom Africa sub-Saharan Africa account manager Tom Westendorp noted that the cumulative travel time between 4 pm and 7 pm on an 18 km of the N1 North had reduced from 23

The Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle (GMEV) scheme led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) will see more than 250 charging bays across the ten Greater Manchester local authority areas switched on. The scheme will be operated by Charge Your Car, who will manage payments and access on behalf of TfGM. Charging bays to supplement the network are being provided by private sector partners, including NCP, Manchester Central, Manchester Metropolitan University, Salford University and the Intu Trafford Cen

In response to fatal school bus accidents at intersections in New Jersey and Florida last year, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that the government should set performance standards for new safety technology that allows cars and trucks to talk to each other and then require the technology be installed in all new vehicles. Vehicles equipped with the technology can continuously communicate over wireless networks, exchanging information on location, direction and speed ten tim

Transit Consulting Network (TCNI) has been selected by the Saipan, China Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority and the Commonwealth Public Transportation Advisory Board to conduct a feasibility study into the Saipan Fixed-Flex Route and Paratransit. According to Thomas J Camacho, special assistant for public transportation and chairman of the transportation board, the study includes a comprehensive analysis of past and existing transportation systems, existing and future land use patterns, travel demand

The Spanish Road Association (AEC) has just launched its own online training platform for the road sector for Spain and the Latin American region, supported by Vial Ibero-American Institute (IVIA), which contributes to the distribution of the courses. Although fully developed in other professional fields, there was a clear demand for online training in road infrastructure. The AEC training platform provides an international focus, and aims to become a benchmark for all technicians and managers working on e

Transportation leaders attending the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA) Summit on All Electronic Tolling, Managed Lanes and Interoperability announced major advancements in the tolling industry that are transforming America’s infrastructure. The summit showcased the vigorous efforts by the tolling industry to achieve nationwide electronic toll interoperability mandated by the US Congress in last year’s federal transportation law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act