Highway & Network Management

In Japan, operators of West Nippon Expressway, Central Nippon Expressway and East Nippon Expressway are planning to spend around US$28.86 billion (JPY 3.02 trillion) to renovate ageing tunnels and bridges on their roads. The expressway operators will be renovating around 2,110km of the combined 9,000km of expressways that they operate. This will include large scale renovations on about 1,870km of expressways, such as reinforcing tunnel foundations. The three operators will also renew about 240km of bridges

The Main Public Roads Administration for the Moscow region has prepared a draft decree banning the use of regional roads by trucks weighting over 12tonnes from 6am until 10pm. The ban on use of the Moscow Ring Road by trucks during daytime was introduced in March last year. The final decision on whether or not to ban 12tonne plus trucks on regional roads during daytime will be made by the Moscow region's government.

The number of road deaths in France last year fell by 11% to 3,250, 403 fewer than in 2012. Revealing the figures, Minister of the Interior Manuel Valls said they were the lowest number since the first national road death statistics were recorded in 1948. Deaths of 18-24 year olds on French roads during 2013 were down 10% year-on-year, with road deaths of car occupants down 14%. Deaths of cyclists on French roads were down 8%, pedestrian road deaths fell by 7% and 3% fewer motorcyclists were killed on the

The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) opened a new chapter in its long-standing cooperation with the corporate world after staging its first meeting on Monday 20 January 2014. Twelve multi-national companies from seven countries met in Paris to inaugurate the Forum's new Corporate Partnership Board (CPB). The CPB will serve as the ITF's mechanism for including expert knowledge from corporations in transport and related areas for policy a

The Swiss Government may extend the use of flexible speed limits, which apply only at certain times, on motorways. In future flexible speed limits could affect 450kms of the country’s motorway network, up from 170kms now. The Government believes that this would lead to a better use of road capacities. Studies have shown that when people drive more slowly they leave smaller gaps between their vehicles and the ones in front. This improves efficiency. According to current plans, the maximum speed will be redu

Registration is now open for the 2014 Summit of the International Transport Forum at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Under the theme ‘Transport for a Changing World: Understanding Trends – Shaping Responses’, this year’s event will take place 21-23 May in Leipzig, Germany. The ITF Summit is the leading global forum for transport policy; it is also referred to as the ‘Davos of Transport’. In 2013, 1,000 participants from 80 countries attended, including transport ministers

The average social cost of each New Zealand road accident death is $3.75 million (NZD 4.54 million), according to an estimation by the New Zealand ministry of transport (MOT) The New Zealand MOT also estimates that the average cost of serious injuries due to road accidents is $392,989 (NZD 473,600) per person. The social costs include financial and non-financial costs of accidents such as property damage, medical and legal expenses as well as loss of quality of life. The number of road accidents in New Ze

The UK-based GEM Motoring Assist road safety charity has released a video version of its most frequently asked questions in a bid to help drivers stay safe when rain, spray and increasing levels of surface water create potential hazards on their journeys. The video comes as parts of the UK remain on flood alert after heavy rain and strong winds caused havoc earlier this month, particularly in the south of England. Environment Agency teams are still working around the clock monitoring water levels, clearing

The vital importance of better data to improve road safety has led international road safety experts from 40 countries to issue the Buenos Aires Declaration on Better Safety Data for Better Road Safety Outcomes.