News

Japan’s Ministry of Transport is to scrap weekday daytime toll discounts on some of the country’s expressways from late March 2014 after a poll discovered that they were failing to relieve traffic jams. A 30% discount is currently available to drivers on non-Osaka, Tokyo and its neighbouring area toll expressways operated by Central Nippon Expressway, West Nippon Expressway and East Nippon Expressway from 9am to 5pm. State subsidies are also allowing operators to offer further expressway toll discount

A total of 9,159 people were caught driving without a licence in Belgium during 2012. This is well over double the 3,991 people found to be driving without a license in 2000. The figures include people who have never obtained a licence and those who are driving with a provisional license but failing to abide by the rule of the provisional licence. The fines imposed in Belgium for not having a licence vary from €1,200 to €12,000.

The government of Oman has approved 13 road projects costing US$1.39 billion (OMR 535.5 million). Fidrichi Sterling and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) received deals worth $344.51 million (OMR 132.6 million) and $352.05 million (OMR 135.61 million) respectively to build the fifth and fourth package of Al Batinah Expressway. Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) won a $321.91 million (OMR 124 million) contract to build the 45km sixth package of the same key Expressway.

The Pennsylvania state Senate has approved a transport funding bill worth US$2.3 billion to restore ageing bridges and highways, and to improve mass transit throughout the U.S. state. The funding will be allocated for all transport modes, covering roads that cross rivers and streams, superhighways, gravel roads, seaports, airports, bike paths and rail lines. Of the total funding, $1.65 billion is set aside for repairing roads and bridges, while around $475 million is allocated for mass transit systems.

Colombia's fiscal policy council Confis has approved more than US$700 million of funding for the construction of the 31.8km road connecting Mulalo and Loboguerrero in Valle del Cauca. Following the fiscal approval, Treasury minister Mauricio Cardenas has given the green light to the project which will benefit over 147,000 people and create 4,773 jobs. In total, Confis has approved $2.75 billion (COP 5.3 trillion) for infrastructure projects. Some of the sum will also be invested in the connection between C

The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) is providing a US$400 million loan to Guatemala for rural road construction. This follows on from a $200 million loan being provided to Guatemala by the World Bank and a $237 million loan from the IADB. The Guatemalan Government is also working on upgrading CA9 Norte highway to make it reach Mayuelas completing an 89km extension at a cost of $240 million. The authorities also have plans to replace 60-70 bridges with new structures.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has revealed that a Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan worth US$474 million will help pay for construction of the replacement for the current Goethals Bridge that connects Elizabeth, New Jersey with Staten Island, New York. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), which operates the bridge, estimates that more than $33 billion in regional goods passes across the bridge each year. An average of 74,000 vehicles/day cross t

The board of Guangxi LiuGong Machinery has promoted Zeng Guang’an to the position of president of Guangxi LiuGong Group. Meanwhile, Zeng is still the vice chairman of LiuGong Machinery. Under the leadership of Zeng, LiuGong is now one of the fastest growing, global, full-line construction equipment companies in the world and was ranked as the 20th largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world.

The Serbian Government is considering a loan from China’s Export-Import Bank, which would pay for the construction of the E-763 highway. The bank looks set to give its approval for the €223 million loan, which would pay for 90% of the construction work for the E-763, or Obrenovac-Ljig, highway. The loan would be approved over a 20 year repayment period and a five year grace period at the fixed rate of 2.5%/year. Meanwhile tendering will open for completion works on Serbia’s Pirot-Dimitrovgrad highway unti

The European Transport Safety Commission (ETSC) is hopeful that coming elections will result in a political leadership keen to address European road safety. The ETSC has identified speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, infrastructure safety and the safety of vulnerable road users as priority areas for action during the mandate of the next European Parliament. Antonio Avenoso, ETSC executive director said, "Action in all of those areas carries significant potential to prevent deaths and

Studies for the proposed Brussels Ring Road will receive EU support. Co-financing worth some €1 million from the EU’s TEN-T Programme will help pay for a study to optimise the Brussels Ring Road and improve its traffic flow and safety. The Belgian authorities will pay the remaining €1 million for the study. The main aim of this study is to try and separate local and transit traffic, without extending the existing road infrastructure.