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The European Commission (EC) has urged authorities in the Hungarian capital Budapest to introduce the congestion charge in the city by 2015 at the latest or face EU legal sanctions, according to some press reports. Should the local authorities fail to take the step, the EC may launch an infringement procedure against Budapest. Thus, the city’s leaders would be obliged to repay EU funds worth €641.6 million (HUF 181bn) provided for building Budapest's Metro 4 underground line. Earlier this year, the Hungaria

The Expotraffic 2013 exhibition is billed as Russia's showcase for the systems, products and services needed for safe and efficient highways operation and traffic management. The event takes place at Moscow's Expocentr from 12th–14th March 2013 and has already attracted support from organisations leading highways policy and operation in Russia. Among these is the Department for Traffic Management of the Government of Moscow. Responsible for placing and managing traffic cameras, traffic lights, and for road

A new report by research body Frost & Sullivan says that growing replacement volumes are boosting demand for tyre pressure monitoring technology in Europe and North America. Laws requiring the installation of tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in new vehicles are leading to an increase in the installed base of this technology in the European Union (EU) and the United States. With the proliferation of universal sensors and aggressive efforts to raise consumer awareness, the TPMS aftermarket is set for r

Interest is strong in the Bridge Innovation Summit 2013 (BIS2013) being held from April 25th- 26th in Beijing, according to the event organisers. The Bridge Innovation Summit 2013 will be the leading event for bridge developments in Asia, with over 20 top executives as speakers and over 150 senior executives as participants. Confirmed leading bridge related companies and organisations include Arup, BAOSTEEL Construction, COWI, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), China Railway Group and China’s

Key European Research Institutes are now involved in a project looking at innovative designs for efficient urban transport interchanges. This project on urban mobility is co-financed by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Cooperation Work Programme. City-HUB aims at contributing to the design and operation of seamless, smart, clean and safe intermodal public transport. It brings together leading experts of design and urban integration, transport operation and business, local and regional author

The authorities in Chinese capital Beijing are making a key move to cut transport emissions from large vehicles. Over the next two years there will be a 30% reduction in the number of diesel powered buses in the city. Around 80% of the Beijing Public Transportation Group’s 21,000 buses are currently diesel-driven. But the plan in Beijing is to increase the proportion of clean-energy and new-energy buses to 50% of the fleet in from 2013 to 2014. At present, Beijing’s bus fleet includes 100 pure electric vehi

A new network of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles is planned for in Ireland and Northern Ireland. EU co-financing is providing over €2 million from its TEN-T Programme to research a comprehensive network of fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The study will have far wider implications too than Ireland and Northern Ireland as it will provide important data policymakers can use when making decisions on the nationwide roll outs of EV infrastruct

According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), changes in the way the US Government reviews bridge projects could speed repairs. ARTBA has long-advocated this change, which could save US taxpayers an estimated US$78 million and reduce wait times for repair projects on more than 196,000 bridges in the country. The decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will allow the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to streamline the historic preservation proces

The members of this family found out the hard way that when transporting a paint canister, it is best to keep it in the boot as in the event of even a small impact...

Fugro has secured a three-year contract with Luton Borough Council in southern England to provide a range of highway and footway investigations, including the Council’s annual SCANNER surveys using Fugro’s ARAN (Automatic Road Analyser) survey system. The survey package also includes SCRIM (surface friction) testing of Luton’s A, B and C roads, and CVI (coarse visual inspection) of unclassified roads. Cambridge-based Fugro transport specialists will process the survey data to generate NI (national indicator

The German government is reported to be willing to take over truck toll operator Toll Collect – ending years of dispute over billions of euros in penalty payments and damage claims. A takeover agreement is still said to be possible before the end of 2012, according to a report in a German national media publication. The contract with Toll Collect expires in 2015. The Toll Collect consortium consists of Germany-based Daimler and Deutsche Telekom as well as France-based Cofiroute.

The Chhattisgarh government in India will receive a US$300 million loan from the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) for upgrading more than 900km of roads by 2017. The project will include works like building new sections, expanding roads to accommodate a two-lane system as well as the construction and strengthening of culverts and bridges. The state will also contribute over $128 million for a total project investment cost of $428.10 million.