Waymo’s freight division in Texan driverless trucking trial
Waymo Via, the delivery part of Google’s self-driving division, is expanding its existing partnership with UPS to carry freight via autonomous lorries between Houston and Dallas-Forth Worth. TechCrunch reports that Waymo is not saying how many trucks it is using on the 240 mile route, but that it did say “multiple trucks” from its test […]
Technology’s here-and-now contribution to a better environment showcased at ITS (UK) Members’ Day
ITS (UK)’s first major in-person gathering since the start of the pandemic will feature a discussion about how technology is helping transport reduce emissions and tackle climate change. The industry association’s Members’ Day is hosted by Cubic Transportation Systems at their UK HQ in Surrey on Thursday 25 November. It is also sponsored by White […]
Government strengthens hand held mobile law
The Government is strengthening existing laws making it illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving under virtually any circumstance. It says this follows a public consultation which found that 81% of people supported such a move. The Highway code is being changed making it clear that hand-held phone use at traffic lights or […]
Apple speeds up driverless car project
Apple is reported to be pushing to accelerate development of its electric car and is refocusing the project around full self-driving capabilities. Bloomberg says it’s spoken to people “familiar with the matter”, explaining Apple is aiming to solve a technical challenge that has “bedevilled the auto industry”. “For the past several years, Apple’s car team had […]
Bee Network Cycle Hire gets underway in Manchester and Salford
ITS (UK) member Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Cycle Hire scheme has launched, providing people in Manchester city centre and key locations in Salford with what it calls an easy-to-access and great value option for short journeys. More stations and bikes are set to roll out over the coming weeks. Greater Manchester Transport Commissioner, […]
National Highways publishes eCall explanation video
National Highways has published a YouTube video explaining the emergency service contact system eCall to drivers. With the line “eCall SOS could save your life. Locate the button. Know when to use it,” the video explains what eCall is, how it works and when people should use it. It was produced with support of the […]
NH announces “groundbreaking” new traffic information service
National Highways says it is “reaching for the skies” with a new digital infrastructure that will help keep roads moving and give drivers round-the-clock real-time traffic information. New technology is being introduced into National Highways’ National Traffic Information Service (NTIS) which it says will make sure consistent and reliable information is available on the nation’s […]
Colas wins three prestigious environmental awards
Civil engineering and transport infrastructure company Colas is has won three Green Apple Environment Awards at a ceremony in central London. Two National Silver accolades were awarded to Colas for their environmental and ecological mitigation work on the Humber Bank Link Road project in Grimsby, and their ‘Retread’ process which reduces the potential carbon impact […]
London’s transport network facing “managed decline”
There’s a warning that transport network is headed for “managed decline” to echo the 1970s if central government refuses to fill a growing funding black hole. London’s financial paper City AM reports that late on Wednesday evening, TfL’s finance committee published the “bleakest assessment yet” of the future of London’s public transport network, outlining an […]
Think individual, not average – this week’s Highways Voices podcast
In this week’s Highways Voices podcast, two of the UK’s leading experts on the behaviour of people while travelling urge engineers to redefine how they measure a successful transport system. Rory Sutherland and Pete Dyson have written a book “Transport for Humans – Are We Nearly There Yet”, in which they write how engineers plan […]