News

The French government has replaced its public private partnership advisory agency ahead of incoming laws to make P3 contracts easier to process and manage. The Mission d'appui aux Partenariats Public-Privé (MAPPP) is replaced by Fin Infra, the Mission d’appui au financement des infrastructures. Fin Infra has extended powers and more personnel over MAPPP. Unlike its predecessor, it will be able to provide advice on concession contracts and other forms of public-private contracting, rather than just pub

Europe’s construction equipment manufacturing association, CECE, plans to hold its annual congress in Czech capital Prague. CECE is working jointly with SVSS, the Czech construction equipment industry association, to organise the 2016 edition of the CECE Congress. Called, An Industry in Transformation; Drivers of Success, the congress will be held in Prague from the 5th to 7th October 2016. Key benefits for attendees will be understanding how colliding trends could affect business, preparing for times of

Concern has been expressed at the high number of fatalities involving motorcycle users in the US during 2015. Preliminary figures from state authorities show that over 5,000 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in the US over the course of 2015. The full data has yet to be compiled and analysed but these early figures suggest an increase in motorcyclist deaths of 10% for 2014 compared with 2015, or around 450 more people killed than in the year previously. The report was released as part of the Gove

Oman’s roads have shown a gain in safety during the first four months of 2016. Crashes dropped 32% for the first four months of this year, compared with the same period during 2015. However road deaths during the first four months of 2016 increased by 1.4% to 210. In all there were 1,413 crashes in the first four months of 2016, while injuries were reduced by 22.8% to 903.

France has seen an increase in its road fatality rate during 2015. Official figures show that road casualties again increased during 2015, the second consecutive year that this has occurred. Road deaths increased by 2.3% over the figure for 2014 and reached 3,461 in 2015. This increased fatality rate is of note as for the 12 years previous to 2014, France’s road death rate had reduced.

Paul Lyons, CEA’s () Market Information Manager takes a look at the trends of UK Exports and Imports of Construction and Earthmoving equipment* in the first quarter of 2016. According to the UK’s Construction Equipment Association (CEA) exports of construction and earthmoving equipment have been on a declining trend since 2013. The CE explains that this reflects weak demand in many of the major overseas markets. However, export levels in recent quarters are continuing to show signs of stabilising. Export

Only 44% of roads in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg Vorpommern are in good or very good condition, according to a transport infrastructure report presented to the German parliament. Also, a third are in poor or very poor condition. The state - the least densely populated in all Germany - performed well compared to other states, according to German media reports. But there are more than 600km where the damage is so bad that it must be repaired as soon as possible or at least be closely m

Police in a small German town were stumped when their speed trap camera went off clocking a vehicle doing 30kph in a 20kph zone. The photo, taken on a clear day at 10am, showed no object, according to German media reports. But on closer examination, police in the town of Zweibrücken, in the south west, spotted a tiny airborne object – a green ring-necked parakeet – in mid-flight. “After close visual inspection of the photo taken at the scene we solved the puzzle,” the Rhineland Palatinate police sa

Funding for a key project in Belarus could be supplied by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Financing is required for the reconstruction of the M10 highway in Belarus, which runs from Kobrin through Gomel to the Russian border. The EBRD will consider options once the results of the tender have been revealed. The private sector looks likely to take part in the project, which is conceived as a PPP scheme, the first for Belarus. The project will be handled under the concession mode

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is suggesting that new highways could also be designed as backup runways for its air defence fleet. The first highway to be constructed so that it could also be used as a runway is likely to be the 302km Lucknow-Agra Expressway. This route will be operational by the end of 2016. The IAF has been working on plans to build emergency runways and has been developing solutions for mobile logistics support. It has also been researching suitable road sections and the minimum infrastr

Sweden is planning to construct more wildlife crossings in a bid to reduce roadkills. The plans have been drawn up by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) and call for €321.74 million to be spent on building new wildlife crossings, bridges and underpasses, as well as erecting more wildlife fencing. The aim is to tackle the country’s current rising number of roadkills. There are currently 3,000km of wildlife fences in Sweden. A survey by Trafikverket has shown that a combination of wildlife fe

Vietnam is working on plans to develop a new highway in Ha Tinh. The proposal has been put forward by the Project Management Board Unit 85. The new highway would connect Vung Ang and Ham Nghi in Ha Tinh. A request has been lodged by the Project Management Board Unit 85 for funds worth US$232.56 million from build-operate-transfer investors and $94 million from State budget funds. Under the project, three additional bridges and 13 core bridges would be constructed. The project requires $299.64 million in

Construction consultants McBains Cooper has won a contract to help improve public-private partnership skill for the Colombian city of Medellin. McBains will train Medellin PPP Agency to help implement PPP procured projects in the city, Colombia’s second largest. Apart from road works that will include a new urban highway, projects will be across the transportation sector as well as in education such as school construction. Santiago Klein, international director at McBains Cooper, said the objective of

Britain’s M6toll motorway - now up for sale - has awarded its 190 millionth customer with a year’s free travel. James Hodson, director of motorway operations for toll road operator Midland Expressway, said it could save the driver around €2,550 over the year. The driver’s car was fitted with an M6toll Tag, a small electronic device fitted to a vehicle’s windscreen. It allows users to pre-pay for their journeys and pass through a dedicated lane usually without the need to stop. Tags normally cost a mon

Strong industry support is being achieved for the upcoming Highways UK event, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 16th and 17th November 2016. The Chartered Institution for Highways and Transportation (CIHT) has become a principal supporter of Highways UK. CIHT's collaboration includes hosting a programme of industry briefings within a dedicated theatre and encouraging the active participation of its 13,000-strong membership of transportation professionals.