UTC

Swarco Traffic has installed 34 vehicle-activated signs (VAS) at key locations in the UK borough of Brent to support its council in reducing collisions, road danger and accidents that involve powered two-wheelers (P2Ws) such as motorcycles and mopeds. Motorcycles account for 19% of all road user deaths despite representing 1% of total road traffic, according to the National Think Road Safety Campaign. VAS are activated when an approaching vehicle is travelling over the system’s pre-set threshold.

Siemens ITS will deliver traffic signals and CCTV equipment to engineering contractor Alun Griffiths in a bid to improve traffic flows in the UK town of Yeovil. The equipment will be implemented along a series of junctions and roundabouts at 11 locations. The 18-month project is part of Somerset County Council’s Yeovil Western Corridor project and is expected to make journeys faster by 23% on the western side and 16% on the eastern side of the town. This contract includes the replacement of expired

Uber intends to launch its newly-acquired Jump electric bikes in Seattle, US, in a move which could increase competition among rival firms. The ride-hailing company will decide on whether to apply for a permit once regulations have been mapped out by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDoT). SDoT is finalising a permit programme for bike-share operators and plans to present a proposal to the city council next month. A report by the Seattle Times says three bike-share companies operate in the city

Cohda Wireless' connected vehicle technology is being trialled on 100 freight vehicles in a bid to keep traffic moving and reduce congestion in Sydney, Australia. The system allows trucks to keep traffic lights green so they can pass through a 25-mile trial site comprising three freight routes. The three-month project has been initiated by Transport for New South Wales and Roads and Maritime Services. The routes are located at Pennant Hills, Parramatta and King Georges roads. Additionally, Cohda is r

UK technology company Truvelo is launching a mobile speed enforcement camera to combat driving offences. Called LaserCam 4, the solution combines laser speedmetre capabilities with high-quality video and can be used by static safety camera partnership vehicles. LaserCam 4 records evidential video clips of speeding and other infractions onto internal solid state memory.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is investing $2.5m in Sri Lanka-based ride-hailing company PickMe, whose taxi app allows users to request auto rickshaws and luxury cars. Amena Arif, IFC country manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives, says the country has the potential for a digital start-up ecosystem but has been held back by a lack of global funding. IFC says only 5% of start-ups get cash-for-equity seed funding to raise their first significant round of venture capital. IFC’s venture cap

Transportation company Nauto has launched its Prevent solution to help eliminate distracted driving by alerting motorists when their eyes have strayed off the road for too long. The company hopes to reduce accidents and collisions - before the large-scale arrival of autonomous vehicles. A report by TechCrunch says the device will send a voice notification if motorists are distracted for more than five seconds and are driving at 60mph. An alarm will follow if the user's attention has not returned to drivi

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has entered an R&D agreement with the iMove Cooperative Research Centre to improve traffic flows in Melbourne, Australia. The $55m government-funded project will consider the interaction of all transport modes to identify blockages in the management of an integrated multi-modal system. The two-year initiative - called the Implementation of a Multimodal Situational Awareness and Operations Regime Evaluation Platform – sees CTS collaborating with the University of Melbou