January’s top news stories

South Korea sets standards for Level 3 self-driving vehicles

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea released safety standards to operate Level 3 (partially autonomous) self-driving vehicles.

These standards will come into effect from July and will pave the way for the manufacturing of safe autonomous vehicles in South Korea.

In Level 3 autonomous vehicles, drivers must be present behind the wheel to take over in case of emergencies.

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Cube Highways to acquire Delhi-Agra toll road in India for $505.9m

India-based Reliance Infrastructure group secured in-principle approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the sale of the Delhi-Agra toll road to Singapore-based Cube Highways and Infrastructure for Rs36bn ($505.9m).

Under the deal, an equity payment of Rs17bn ($238.9m) will be received by Reliance Infrastructure, who will use the proceeds to cut down its debt.

The 180km Delhi-Agra toll road is a six-lane highway.

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USDOT approves $900m funding to improve transport infrastructure

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that it will be providing more than $900m for transport infrastructure improvement projects across the country.

USDOT secretary Elaine L Chao said that the funds will be provided under the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant programme.

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Japan’s Maeda to launch unsolicited bid for Maeda Road Construction

Japanese builder Maeda announced plans to launch an unsolicited bid to acquire a controlling stake in affiliate and road paving firm Maeda Road Construction.

The deal is expected to be worth $780.75m (JPY86bn).

Maeda Road stated it would sever its capital relationship with group firm Maeda, which currently owns just over a 24% stake, and acquire all its shares in the latter.

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DEWA maps locations of Dubai’s EV charge stations to digital platforms

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) mapped the locations of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations onto 14 digital platforms, including its website and Smart app.

This initiative is part of DEWA’s move to promote sustainable transport in the Emirate and ensure its EV Green Charger station sites are accurately compiled, managed and syndicated.

Customers who register for the EV Green Charger Initiative can precisely locate all DEWA charging stations across a variety of digital map platforms such as Google Maps, ride-share platforms such as Careem, car navigation maps such as TomTom and Here Maps, and dedicated charging station platforms such as Plugshare and Electromaps.

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Government of Ireland allocates $582m for road upgrades

The Government of the Republic of Ireland reportedly allocated $582m (€525m) to upgrade its regional and local roads.

The government is increasing road funding by more than 8% this year. The funds will enable the maintenance of around 2,700km of roads and the strengthening of 2,300km of roads, reported Bignewsnetwork.com.

Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross was quoted by the website as saying: “Well maintained roads are crucial to road safety, to saving lives and to minimising road collisions. Road fatalities and injuries can be cut drastically by smart investment in better roads.”

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Tofino-Ucluelet highway reopens after bridge installation

The road linking Tofino-Ucluelet to the rest of Vancouver Island in Canada reopened following the installation of a prefabricated 20m single-lane bridge.

The road was damaged by a rock slide caused by construction work for the Highway 4 – Kennedy Hill Safety Improvement project.

In a statement, British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said: “Installation of the bridge was quicker than expected because bedrock was deeper than expected. This allowed for the bridge to be inset into the road grade, rather than above it, which would have required a substantial amount of approach ramp work.”

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New Zealand designates $1.44bn to build new roads in Auckland

The Government of New Zealand designated NZD2.2bn ($1.44bn) to build new roads in the city of Auckland.

The move is a part of the government’s NZD12bn ($7.84bn) programme that seeks to build and upgrade the country’s roads, railways, schools and hospitals.

Overall, New Zealand will invest NZD6.8bn ($4.44bn) to improve transport infrastructure across six main growth areas: Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Canterbury and Queenstown.

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UPS to buy 10,000 purpose-built electric vehicles from Arrival

US-based delivery company UPS placed an order of 10,000 purpose-built electric vehicles from Arrival.

The order will support UPS to make the transition to a zero-emissions fleet.

The purpose-built electric vehicles will be designed according to UPS specifications and will be rolled out from 2020 to 2024 across the UK, Europe and North America.

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Apple upgrades Maps app to improve road navigation in US

Apple upgraded its Maps app to improve US road navigation with detailed views of roads, buildings and landmarks, along with pedestrian data.

The redesigned Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on iPhones, is now live in the US. In the following months, the upgrade will be rolled out across Europe.

Apple Internet Software and Services senior vice-president Eddy Cue said: “We set out to create the best and most private maps app on the planet that is reflective of how people explore the world today.”