TRANSPORT BUSINESS NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
North Carolina's
first `green' rest
area opens
North Carolina's first environmentally friendly
rest area has opened on U.S. 421 Northbound
in North Wilkesboro. The 10,030-square-foot
rest area has many unique features that
make it eco-friendly, such as solar panels for
hot water, photovoltaic panels to convert
solar energy into alternating current power,
rainwater catchment for use to flush toilets
and urinals, and a geothermal heat pump
used to heat or cool the building.
The department is monitoring the energy
and water produced and used at the facility
online at http://ncdot.technology-view.com/
wilkes. The website updates the information
shown every 15 minutes. The results are fed
onto flat panel monitors inside the visitor
centre so the public can see the environmental
and financial benefits of the facility.
Tories to halt
speed camera
growth
Fixed speed cameras will no longer be
funded by the government should the Tories
win the next election, UK Shadow Transport
Minister Teresa Villiers has announced. The
party is backing wider use of alternatives
such as vehicle-activated signs, which flash
warnings and tell drivers to slow down if
they are speeding.
"Labour's dependence on fixed speed
cameras has blinded them to the effectiveness
of the alternatives," Ms Villiers said.
The number of cameras is thought to have
trebled since Labour came into power in
1997. Councils bid for a share of the annual
�110m government road safety grant to
pay for them, however, Ms Villiers' said
the Conservatives would withdraw central
funding. Councils will still be able to install
fixed speed cameras but will have to use
funds raised from council tax and prove
that installing new cameras is better than
alternative safety policies.
09
TRANSLINk, the state-owned Northern
Ireland bus and rail operator, has
launched iLink, its new integrated smart
ticketing system that aims to make using
public transport easier.
Catherine Mason, Translink's chief
executive, explained: "iLink is the first
integrated commercial Smartcard for
Northern Ireland and is a big step forward
in delivering integrated travel solutions
for everyone." The cards are free for an
introductory period until the end of the
year when they will cost �1.50. The iLink
card can be topped up for unlimited daily,
weekly or monthly travel within three
different zones.
Bus and rail smartcard
launches in Northern Ireland
MR ANTONIO TAjANI, European
Commission Vice-President for Transport
Policy, has announced the official start
of operations for EGNOS, the European
Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.
EGNOS is a satellite-based augmentation
system that improves the accuracy of
satellite navigation signals over Europe.
The system consists of transponders
aboard three geostationary satellites over
the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Europe,
linked to a network of about 40 ground
stations and four control centres.
The EGNOS ground stations receive
signals sent out by the US GPS satellites.
Information on the accuracy and reliability
of these signals is relayed to users via the
geostationary satellite transponders. This
allows them to determine their position
to within two metres, compared with
about 20 metres for GPS alone. The Open
Service is provided free of charge.
Most mass-market satellite navigation
receivers being sold today are ready for
EGNOS. It was developed as a joint project
by ESA, the European Commission and
Eurocontrol, the European Organisation
for the Safety of Air Navigation.
GPS resolution improved to
two metres within Europe
TRANSPORT BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL ISSUE 11 / www.transportbusiness.net

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