The Indian Highways Ministry has plans to construct new roads in under-developed areas of the country. A budget of some US$3.19 billion is envisaged for the work required over the coming five year period.
The Indonesian Government has handed out contracts for the new Sunda Strait Bridge. Construction of the US$11 billion project is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2014.
In Switzerland the authorities intend to introduce tough regulations that will boost safety on the nation’s roads. The Swiss National Council voted measures including stricter penalties for people convicted of speeding.
Urban mobility is high on the infrastructure agenda in Mexico. While highways continue to be a priority, capital Mexico City and other large cities across the country are looking to implement mass transport systems such as bus rapid transit (BRT) lines.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released estimates showing that in 2010, transportation deaths in the US was 34,925, a decrease from 35,994 recorded in 2009.
Improved pedestrian safety and smoother traffic flow will result from work being carried out by Nepal’s Department of Roads. The plan will see the construction of 15 pedestrian bridges along the Tinkune-Suryabinayak section of the Araniko Highway.
Smarter steps to reduce carbon emissions are being proposed by a new study from The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT). With transport accounting for nearly 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions, and at a time when governments are agreeing to move forward together on reducing emissions, CILT is calling for a balanced approach to carbon management and better assessment of the carbon impact in making transport investment choices.
Concern has been expressed in Austria over the potential costs of upgrading the country’s road network to cope with 60tonne trucks measuring up to 25.5m long. The introduction of these massive ‘gigaliners’ has been proposed across the EC. But Austrian highway operator Asfinag has said that upgrading the country’s roads, highways, bridges and tunnels to make them suitable for gigaliners would cost some €5.4 billion. Asfinag has also expressed its concern over the safety issues surrounding these vehicles due
The PILOT4SAFETY and BALTRIS are holding a joint workshop on "Road Safety Personnel: the importance of European standardised training and certification and their positiveimpact on civil society".
In New Zealand, yearly death toll of road accidents posted at 280 as of 29 December 2011, which is a record-low figure since 1952. In 2010, road accidents claimed 374 lives.
