News

A study into new technologies by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in the US reveals that advanced video systems could cut crashes. VTTI’s report analysed collisions involving heavy trucks and buses and found that Lytx’s video-based driver safety system could save lives and reduce injuries. The study concluded that heavy trucks and buses using the DriveCam powered by Lytx Program could reduce fatalities, collisions and injuries. “If driver behavior is the primary reason for traffic crashes,

A study from the US focussing on driving impairment from alcohol reveals results of major concern. According to the results, even drivers who are minimally impaired are more often to blame for fatal car crashes than the sober drivers they collide with. The study analysed data from crashes in the US and was led by UC San Diego sociologist David Phillips. The results were published in the British Medical Journal group’s Injury Prevention. In all the study examined 570,731 fatal collisions, from 1994 to 2011.T

The UK is to introduce tougher sentences for serious driving offences. This will focus on those repeat offenders who are driving while disqualified and cause deaths or serious injuries to others. The move comes in the wake of several campaigns on behalf of victims of bad drivers. Disqualified drivers will face a maximum of 10 years for those who kill and four years for those who cause serious injuries. The current maximum sentence is only two years for a death, while there is no specific offence for causing

Italian equipment manufacturers report encouraging signs in terms of sales. This follows a six year slump that saw the domestic market fall 80%, although exports continue to dominate turnover. The Foreign Trade Monitor of Construction Equipment Outlook by the equipment organisations Unacea and Prometeia indicates that exports of construction machinery in January 2014 were worth €160 million, posting an increase of 21.6% compared to the previous year. At the end of 2013 sales had dropped 3% compared with the

Chilean construction organisation CChC has published a study saying the country needs to spend some US$12.5 billion on road upgrades and construction over the next 10 years. This is because the country’s vehicle numbers are increasing, according to Business News Americas. The report says that Chile needs to expand its road network by 12,500km to 90,000km by 2023 to keep pace with the growing volume of traffic. Some 4,000km of the proposed new road should be highway or toll road, according to the study. To r

The Humber Bridge Board in the UK is set to deploy an automatic tolling system at the famous structure near Kingston upon Hull in northern England from the autumn of 2014 to the spring of 2015. The number of manual payment toll booths is being reduced to three from six to accommodate two free-flow lanes and automatic tolling infrastructure. The updated booths are anticipated to be operational in June 2014 or early July 2014. Until the installation of the automated system is complete, the toll booths will co

The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (Scirt) in New Zealand says it will cost US$1.53 (NZD 1.77bn) to repair roads and underground pipes in Christchurch damaged by the February 2011 earthquake. However, it only has funding of $1.17 billion (NZD 1.36 billion) and cancellation of some projects is necessary in order to reduce costs by 30%. Scirt has already spent $1.34 billion (NZD 1.56 billion) to repair broken pipes and roads in Christchurch. Raj Manji, the Christchurch city council's financ

Austria is to invest €1 billion in its road network in 2014, with a further €1.3 billion investment in 2015 funded by drivers and the transport industry. Of these sums, 60% will be spent on new construction projects, while 40% will be used for maintenance works.

One of Poland’s major highway projects is now progressing on track, with regular shipments of asphalt proving crucial. The major Polish oil and petrol company, Lotos, is playing a key role in material supplies for the country’s A1 highway project. Subsidiary firm Lotos Asfalt has supplied some 50,000tonnes of asphalt for work on the Torun to Kowal stretch of the A1 highway. Lotos Asfalt also had an exclusive asphalt supply contract for the 19km stretch of the A1 highway from Wloclawek to Kowal, which was re

A major innovation for California will be the wider availability of hydrogen as a ‘green’ fuel source for motor vehicles. Plans are in hand with the establishment of FirstElement Fuel, a retail hydrogen fuelling start-up business, being part-funded by automotive giant Toyota Motor. FirstElement Fuel is headed by former marketing chief of General Motors Joel Ewanick and is receiving US$7.2 million of funding from Toyota. The funding from Toyota will help with construction of hydrogen fuel stations through th

A consortium has won a key construction and concession contract in Russia for a stretch of the Moscow-St Petersburg highway. The construction consortium comprises contractor Vinci and Russian Bank VTB. The deal involves around US$1.7 billion of public financing for the construction phase and some $983 million for operation for the period of the contract. The concession package involves construction of the highway section, as well as operation for a 24 year period. The construction work will be carried out b

Italian civil engineering group Astaldi is expecting to obtain a €1.7 billion contract from Russia that would see them build a 140km stretch of the Moscow-St Petersburg motorway. Astaldi chairman Paolo Astaldi said that the deal for lots seven and eight of the motorway is “probable”. Astaldi is in a consortium with Turkish partner Ictas, with which it has already banked deals in Russia. The contract will be awarded by the motorway concessionaires, VTB and Vinci.

The Peruvian government has announced that the US$182 million construction of a road to link Tacna (Peru) with La Paz (Bolivia), via Collpa, will begin in 2015. This new road will benefit more than 268,000 people living in the south of Peru.

Road transport pressure groups in Switzerland have criticised the Government's draft report on NAF, a national-road and agglomeration fund. While they are in favour of the general idea of the fund and its purpose, they reject details, like the plan for raising the mineral oil tax by either CHF 0.12 (€0.10) or CHF 0.15. They pointed to their initiative for making all funds generated with the mineral oil tax available to transport projects. The groups say that parliament and the people should decide on NAF an

The German state should prioritise road maintenance over the construction of new roads, according to Christian Ahrendt, vice president of the German audit office. Ahrendt said that the government should distribute its funding for road works ‘correctly’ before it considers creating additional income for infrastructure.