Uber buys food delivery firm to grow non-passenger business
Global ridehailing firm Uber is buying food delivery company Postmates for US$2.65 billion (£2.1 billion) to further strengthen its Uber Eats subsidiary. The company says the two businesses are highly complementary, with differentiated geographic focus areas and customer demographics. Uber adds that Postmates has strong relationships with small- and medium-sized restaurants, “particularly local favourites that […]
District in Essex sets out air quality plan
The rural district of Maldon near the Essex coast has approved an air quality plan to reduce Nitrogen Dioxide in the area. Maldon District Council’s Air Quality Action Plan involves cleaner transport, smart delivery bays, and clean air walking and cycling routes. The council says raising public awareness of health issues will also be key. […]
Cyclists in Hull “to benefit from increased bus lane enforcement”
New bus lane enforcement measures are being introduced in Hull in order to improve the safety of cyclists. The move comes as part of Hull City Council’s plans to overhaul its cycling infrastructure and encourage more people to choose an active form of travel. Signs are going up across the city on all bus lanes […]
Wigan link road completed
The A49 link road between the M6 and Wigan Town Centre has been completed. Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK delivered the project for Wigan Council. It’s hoped the new road will ease congestion and improve air quality along current routes as well as boosting economic growth. The project consisted of a new road and four […]
Slough tackles transport-related emissions
Officials in Slough are considering introducing a Clean Air Zone in the town to tackle air quality issues, which it says are mainly caused by transport. Slough Express reports that the council’s undertaking a feasibility study focussing on three air quality hotspots including the road in from Junction 6 of the M4. Slough has been […]
Portsmouth plans sustainable transport
Transport officials in Portsmouth are hoping their plans for more walking and cycling initiatives will get the go-ahead this week. The News in the city reports that a cabinet meeting will consider the local transport plan which includes bike hangars, a park and cycle system and e-scooter hire. It’s part of a 16 year local […]
Project “steers a new course for autonomous urban mobility”
A new international project is promising to accelerate the commercial viability of autonomous vehicles by using open-source software. Project ASLAN is a not-for-profit collaboration between universities, transport authorities, computer engineers and private enterprise. It says its open-source and rapidly deployable self-driving software platform has been launched expressly to foster engineering collaboration. The platform provides “mature […]
Americans to trial driverless lorries on Interstate
Driverless trucks are to be trialled on a stretch of the US Interstate network in Ohio and Indiana. The International Business Journal reports that Department of Transportation officials in the two states are preparing a stretch of Interstate 70 to test autonomous freight movements in a plan which “could serve as a model for other […]
BMW ups connected vehicle capabilities
BMW’s announced it’s releasing what calls “its most comprehensive vehicle software upgrade to date” this month, promising new and improved features for vehicle connectivity and navigation. The carmaker says these features will be included straight-from-the-factory with every BMW vehicle that has Operating System 7, such as the new BMW 5 Series while compatible BMW vehicles […]
Public “needs more education” on eCall
Leading members of ITS (UK)’s Connected Vehicle Forum are warning some of the benefits of the eCall safety system are not being realised in the UK because people simply don’t know how to use it. eCall has been mandatory in all new vehicles for more than two years, but there is concern that drivers have […]