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A recent survey of fleet managers and decision-makers by GreenRoad, driver performance management service provider, entitled Fleet leaders embracing mobile technology potential, found that fleet managers are leading smartphone adoption and work-related app usage. The survey revealed strong interest in smartphones and mobile devices across the industries surveyed. Sixty-six percent of fleet leaders report that most of their managers now carry smartphones at work. Forty-three percent are using smartphone or

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calls for road charging should be introduced on the strategic road network in England. Proposals in the report, Bold Thinking: A model to fund our future roads also suggest that responsibility for the network’s budget should be taken away from the Department for Transport (DfT) and given to an independent regulator. Launching the report, CBI director-general John Cridland said a regulatory asset base (RAB) model was required to address the problem of long-term fu

Swedish rail operator Svenska Tågkompaniet AB (Tågkompaniet) is to deploy a new mobile solution for its train drivers and train conductors, with three new capabilities: context, cross-platform and cloud. Based on the Appear IQ platform from mobile software specialist Appear, the solution allows Tågkompaniet to efficiently dispatch user-based information to its personnel, in order to increase punctuality, improve customer service and reduce operational costs. Tågkompaniet will be deploying smartphones and us

Econolite will use the ITS World Congress to highlight its Centracs Adaptive and Travel Time software modules. Centracs Adaptive is designed for transportation agencies seeking to significantly improve traffic mobility over pre-programmed signal timing plans. It actively reallocates and adapts signal timing to improve traffic flow, including unpredictable or unexpected traffic conditions. Centracs Travel Time module enables Centracs ATMS to subscribe to BlueToad travel time and speed data to provide both hi

Streetline will showcase smart parking technology that combines sensors and a suite of applications to provide cities with real time and historical data and offer flexible parking options for residents and visitors while reducing traffic congestion in downtown areas. As the company points out, cities are facing the challenge of aging infrastructure, a growing population and limited financial resources.

Delcan International Corporation will feature its Intelligent NETworks (iNET), a state-of-the-art ATMS application designed to collect, disseminate, and manage transportation information. Built with scalable architecture, INETworks is an adaptable solution for small and large scale deployments. The software is divided into 25 different modules that control different aspects of the traffic system. Customers build their customised systems by using Delcan’s core modules. It is designed to support both standard

Canada’s Regional Municipality of York (YRT/Viva) has partnered with Google and INIT, supplier of ITS and fare collection systems, to offer bus passengers real-time trip plans through Google maps. The service, Google Live Transit Updates, tracks YRT buses using INIT’s GPS-based navigation system and provides passengers with the exact time a bus will depart from their stop. YRT/Viva is the first transit agency in Canada to offer real-time trip planning on Google with up-to-the-minute next bus departure infor

US-based mapping and navigation specialist, Rand McNally has unveiled its new HD 100 device, which the company claims turns GPS units, tablets and smart phones into compliant electronic on-board recorders (EOBR) systems. Designed to work seamlessly with a variety of mobile devices, the hours of service recorder within the HD 100 qualifies it as a compliant electronic driver log. The device plugs into a vehicle's on-board diagnostics port and records the truck's GPS position along with critical vehicle-speci

A two-year pilot project has begun in London with taxi firm Addison Lee and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Renault, which uses the principle of magnetic induction to jump electricity from a base station direct to the vehicle’s battery to deliver wireless charging. The charging technology being used is called Halo and has been developed by mobile innovations company Qualcomm, the organisation responsible for processors powering the latest generation of smartphones and tablets. ‘EV drivers will opt for th

The US Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is to implement pilot project for a completely cashless toll system for the Henry Hudson Bridge in New York City. The system partly depends on the E-Z Pass device and the Hudson Bridge was chosen for the pilot project as E-Z Pass is already used by over 87% of drivers. Drivers using E-Z Pass will be offered a discounted toll to encourage continued use; drivers without a pass will be identified by licence plate images and will be billed for the full rate b

Communication Networks (ComNet) is introducing a four-port self-managed Ethernet switch. It has four TX Ethernet ports that allow the Ethernet data from three of the TX ports to be combined and inserted onto the network through the fourth TX port. The self-management feature requires no user intervention and is pre-programmed to avoid flooding the network. ComNet says the CNFE4SMS offers management without the cost or user knowledge required for a managed switch. The device is pre-programmed and meets the I

Panasonic Computer Product Solutions has announced its entry into the European vehicle computer docking market with the launch of a wide range of vehicle docks and services for its Toughbook and Toughpad rugged mobile computers. The docking stations are used to hold mobile computers in vehicles and they can also be used for mounting devices on trolleys and work stations in the health, automotive and manufacturing sectors. There is a core line of 10 different docking stations, combined with a range of flexib

Earthquake sensors, automatic barriers and real time monitoring systems are all part of a scheme to make a major Seattle traffic artery safer, by taking it underground. Huw Williams reports. Seattle’s metropolitan area of 3.5 million people, like much of the western seaboard of the United States, lies in an earthquake zone. In Seattle’s case, the city and its hinterland sit atop a complex network of interrelated active geological faults capable of severe seismic activity and posing complex considerations fo

An extensive hybrid communications network in the County of Los Angeles is proving the capability and benefits of modern wireless technology for traffic management across wide areas. Wireless communications technology has found a welcoming test bed for use in traffic management systems, in the County of Los Angeles. The county has long running programmes synchronizing and monitoring traffic signals over large areas. In the process, combined with installation of advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), th

A US pooled fund study group has developed a system of software aimed at taking the concept of winter maintenance decision support to a new level – a scientific ‘one-stop-shop’ of weather and service performance data. This report is by Charles Chambers and Benjamin Hershey. With advancements in environmental technology come new systems that assist agencies with better management of winter roadway maintenance resources. In the late 1990s the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began work developing a pr

The DVR 670 is the latest member of Bosch’s Digital Video Recorder 600 Series, a complete video management solution for up to 16 cameras in a single compact unit. The device offers real-time recording in 4CIF resolution simultaneously on all channels. Very simple to install and operate, the company claims the DVR 670 requires no special training and a minimum of maintenance. Once the unit is connected, the user only needs to enter the language, date, and time for the system to begin recording automatically.

UK company Electrosonic has provided extensive audio, video and data information support to the County of Santa Barbara’s new Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which houses a number of technology-enabled spaces designed to help the California county maintain a constant state of readiness. The new EOC facilitates the sharing of information from various internal and external sources, including news media, incident maps from geospatial services, live video streams from a county helicopter, and operational rep

Mayor of the City of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Gilberto Kassab has announced plans for electric buses from Chinese manufacturer BYD to run in the city by the end of the year. There are approximately 15,000 public buses in the city of Sao Paulo today; however fleet buses are responsible for more than 20% of total transportation emissions. BYD says its electric bus is not only zero-emissions but also economical. It is estimated that energy savings of US$246,000 could be saved during the life cycle of a San Paulo

Zurich Germany is to partner with TomTom fleet management to provide the telematics capability behind the company’s newly launched product Zurich Fleet Intelligence (ZFI). Launched in Germany, the integrated service is aimed at corporate fleets and combines vehicle telematics, reporting, driver development tools and risk engineering support. TomTom technology will be integral to the proposition, helping businesses to actively improve driver safety, reduce operational costs and minimise environmental impact

Toyota is to equip all of their Toyota Land Cruiser V8, Grand Prius+ Lounge version, Prius Solar Premium version cars sold in Belgium with traffic information for their in-car systems on DAB, powered by provider of traffic and mobility information, be-mobile, and using the RTBF DAB network in French-speaking Belgium and the VRT DAB network in Flanders. The company says DAB represents a major industry advancement for real time traffic information; larger traffic data volumes can be processed which in turn en