News

Q-Free has been awarded an order for tags and roadside equipment from Centro Gestao Meios de Pagto (CGMP) in Brazil valued at US$8.68 million. This order is a call off from the earlier announced frame agreement of $34.25 million announced in October, 2010.

Navteq has announced that its real-time traffic service has expanded coverage in the United Arab Emirate cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ummm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, as well as in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medinah, ad-Dammam.

The US-based Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is providing information to those firms operating in Latin America. This will help increase awareness and assist manufacturers in advancing product acceptance and customer satisfaction, as well as making it easier for US-based contractors to work in Latin America. The AEM points out that non-road equipment with Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB generation engines with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and other emissions control equipment.

PayByPhone, a leading international provider of systems for parking and urban mobility payments, has announced one of the largest deployments of near field communications (NFC) payment solutions in the world. T

The Nepalese government is introducing smart licences and embossed vehicle number plates from the 2012/2013 fiscal year which begins in July, 2012. The new initiative to use a uniform number plate with unique security features will greatly enhance enforcement of vehicle registration compliance and also make it easier to identify and take action on traffic offences

Loans worth at least US$110 million will help fund road projects in Nicaragua in agricultural areas. The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) will provide Nicaragua with a short term loan of close to $61 million for a series of improvements to the national road network, some 11 sections overall. A further $50 million is already available, with another $11 million due in the week commencing 23 November 2011. In addition an extra $50 million will come from the World Bank (WB) and CABEI for r

US states are being urged by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to ban drivers from using mobile phones and other electronic devices. The NTSB's call comes after an investigation by the agency noted an increasing number of road accidents caused by distractions.

Spanish contractor Sacyr is to work on two major highway projects in Chile in Concepcion and Iquique, as well as a 78km road in the Tarapaca region. The firm will finance the work using a loan of US$390 million from Chilean financial services company CorpBanca. The 78km road will cost $113 million, while $276 million will be spent on the work linking Concepcion and Cabrero.

South Korean contractor Hyundai Engineering looks set to win the deal to build Kuwait’s Subiya Causeway project. The award of the deal for this massive US$2.6 billion project has been delayed several times so far but is now on track to be awarded by the end of 2011. It still requires parliamentary approval but has been given approval from Kuwait's Central Tenders Committee (CTC). Hyundai Engineering submitted its bid, the lowest of several made, for the project in February 2011.

Bechtel-Enka's Kosovo highway project has won the top prize in the Bechtel's own 2011 Green Footprint Awards for environmental achievements. The Bechtel-Enka joint venture project team was praised by judges for the campaign to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, which was unprecedented in the local area.

According to a report by ACI and Istat, the number of accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles in Italy fell 9% year-on-year in 2010 to 74,367 incidents. The number of deaths has fallen 20% since 2007, although 103 motorcyclists were killed by collisions with fixed objects.