Tarmac Kier JV awarded Barnet highways contract
The Tarmac Kier joint venture has been awarded a new highways maintenance and improvements contract with the London Borough of Barnet. The new contract, valued at approximately £25m, will run from April 2021 for two and half years until September 2023 and has been appointed through Transport for London’s Highways Maintenance and Projects Framework. The […]
Apple boss gives more hints about company’s autonomous car
Apple’s Chief Executive Tim Cook has dropped some hints about the direction he’s taking in the development of the Apple car, including that autonomous vehicle technology will likely be a key feature. Tech Crunch reports that Cook (pictured) said, “The autonomy itself is a core technology, in my view,” during an interview with on the […]
Scottish commission calls for free public transport trial
A Scottish commission examining potential action to tackle climate change and make the country “a healthier, more prosperous and more equal society” has called for a pilot project to test the effect of offering free public transport to encourage more sustainable mobility. The Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission says “rapid interventions” are needed “to fully […]
Waymo’s CEO steps down
The boss of Google’s driverless car division, Waymo, is stepping down after five and a half years in charge. In a blog post, John Krafcik (pictured) has written that after an “exhilarating” time leading this team, he’s decided to “kick-off new adventures”. “To start, I’m looking forward to a refresh period, reconnecting with old friends […]
WMG builds world’s largest public AV scenario database
The WMG department at the University of Warwick has teemed up with Artificial Intelligence experts Deepen AI to make what they call a globally accessible database of scenarios for Governments, manufacturers and researchers to test their autonomous vehicle technology. They say the Safety PoolTM Scenario Database and its role in enabling efficient testing will not only […]
HORIBA MIRA welcomes MoD’s R&D pledge
The vehicle testing and development centre HORIBA MIRA has voiced its support for Ministry of Defence’s £6.6 billion research and development pledge as a “major boost for UK innovators”. Responding to the Ministry’s recently published Integrated Review and Defence Command Papers, HORIBA MIRA has called for greater experimentation in defence artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy […]
Amey drones back in the sky over Kent
Kent County Council’s highways maintenance provider Amey is embarking on phase two of a drone trial technology project, this time in a bid to inspect vegetation (soft landscape) and highways assets around the network and identify any defects in power and water utilities infrastructure around Kent. The footage captured from the drone will be used […]
DfT announces £15m funding for councils to repair and upgrade traffic signals
As part of this year’s Highway Maintenance settlement for English local authorities outside of London, the Department for Transport has announced a £15 million allocation specifically to supplement existing local authority spending on the upgrade and maintenance of traffic signals and associated equipment. This new money for the 2021/22 financial year is available to authorities […]
ITS (UK) begins preparation work for COP26
ITS (UK)’s membership group dedicated to using technological solutions to improve air quality related to transport is beginning its work on a White Paper for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26. The Smart Environment Forum document “Transport Technology and Climate Change” will receive contributions from a range of members with differing areas of […]
SWARCO Traffic’s speed limit signs could save Ipswich economy up to £1 million on high-wind days
Leading ITS solutions provider SWARCO Traffic’s automatic variable speed limit signs have been installed on the Orwell Bridge near Ipswich to enhance driver safety and allow the stretch of road to remain operational more often during windy weather. The bridge, which is crossed by 60,000 vehicles per day and forms the stretch of the A14 […]