Image: Zag Daily

Johannesburg has faced fresh calls to curb vehicle emissions after a new study has revealed the reality of the city’s road pollution landscape.

In 2024, the South African city was estimated to have one of the highest numbers of premature deaths attributed to road transport pollution amongst all African cities. Meanwhile, annual ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM2.5 ) pollution remains two to three times higher than limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Against this backdrop, a study from The Real Urban Emissions (TRUE) Initiative examined emissions data from more than 145,000 vehicles to determine which areas of the city are suffering the impact of road pollution the most and which vehicles are the greatest culprits.

Source: Zag Daily

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Image: Electrek

Germany is preparing to tighten the rules governing shared electric scooters, proposing new legislation that would make rental operators like Lime and Bolt directly liable for damages caused by their vehicles.

The proposed law aims to close what officials describe as a legal loophole that has often left accident victims without compensation. Under the current system, injured parties generally need to prove that the rider was at fault. That can be nearly impossible when the rider leaves the scene or cannot be identified.

Instead, the new legislation would place strict liability on rental operators as the registered owners of the scooters. Riders themselves would also be presumed at fault unless they can demonstrate otherwise. The proposal would even extend to incidents involving improperly parked scooters that block sidewalks and create hazards for pedestrians.

According to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection, the change reflects a simple principle: companies that profit from shared micromobility services should also bear the risks those services create.

Source: Electrek

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5 States Share $62M in DOT Funds for Truck Parking

Many government and private efforts are underway to increase the number of available trucking parking spots around the country. The American Transportation Research Institute, ATA’s research arm, said the average driver spends nearly one hour of drive time daily searching for parking, resulting in $6,813 in lost wages annually.

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Port of Savannah-Linked Corridor to Streamline Flow of Goods

The Brampton Road Connector is the final piece of a series of projects by the Georgia Department of Transportation to create a cargo beltway in the city of Savannah. The department said it has invested close to $600 million in roadway projects during the last 12 years.

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Wake County, N.C., Leaders Contemplate More E-Bike Rules

Local leaders across Wake County and North Carolina face a challenge in regulating e-bikes, e-scooters and similar vehicles. In March about two dozen riders rode together through Wake Forest in what police called an e-bike takeover, slowing traffic, The News & Observer previously reported. Nationally, more than 20,000 people are injured riding e-bikes every year, with around 3,000 people requiring hospitalization, according to a study by two University of California professors in 2024.

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Rideshare Giant Uber Says It's Coming to Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay and More

The U.S.-based company that popularized the modern app-based ride-hailing industry says it is coming to cities and smaller towns across northeastern Ontario. Uber confirmed it is hitting the road in Greater Sudbury, Timmins and North Bay — as well as more than 75 towns between Gravenhurst to Cochrane — with a launch planned for this summer.

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Air Canada Launches Fast, Frequent City Shuttle Between Downtown Montréal and Montréal-Trudeau Airport

Air Canada today announces the launch of the Air Canada City Shuttle, an expansion of its multi-modal partnership with The Landline Company. This new service will provide a fast, frequent and direct motorcoach connection for Air Canada customers between the Palais des congrès de Montréal and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) for $9 one way, plus applicable taxes.

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Dongfeng Eyes Canada EV Entry via Reduced Tariff Quota

Dongfeng Motor is preparing to enter Canada's electric vehicle (EV) market, capitalising on a low-tariff quota negotiated by Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. The Chinese state-owned manufacturer will display EV models at a Montreal event this week and is currently pursuing certification for its vehicles with Canadian regulators.

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Vodafone Disruption Hits Taxi Stockholm’s Digital Booking System, Affecting Cars across Europe

Taxi Stockholm is experiencing operational disruptions on Tuesday after problems with its digital booking system. Other taxi companies in Europe are experiencing the same problems. Digital bookings are not working, and customers are instead being directed to book by phone. The problems, which also affect bookings that have already been made, are due to disruptions at the operator Vodafone.

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Uber in Advanced Talks on Delivery Hero Takeover

Uber Technologies, opens new tab is in ​advanced talks to acquire German food-delivery ‌company Delivery Hero, opens new tab, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the ​matter. The ride-hailing company aims to ​reach an agreement with Delivery Hero ⁠as soon as this week, ​the report said.

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U.K. Air Taxi Leader Delays Certification to 2029

American Airlines and other carriers who placed conditional orders for U.K. manufacturer Vertical Aerospace’s Valo, an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi, will not receive the aircraft until 2029 at the earliest. Vertical—considered the U.K.’s leading air taxi developer by virtue of being one of the only firms conducting routine flight testing—said Monday in a business update that it “re-baselined” its certification program, through which it seeks concurrent Valo type certification from European and American regulators. The new timeline puts certification in 2029, a one-year slip from the 2028 target the company announced in late 2024.

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Cyberattack Disrupts Japan’s Largest Taxi Company

Nihon Kotsu Company Ltd., Japan’s largest taxi operator, suffered a cyberattack on its internal systems that forced the company to take part of its infrastructure offline, BleepingComputer reported. Services including car hire, web booking and telephone dispatch remain unavailable.

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Kei Cars Enter Japanese Taxi Fleets As Industry Seeks a Lifeline

Japan’s smallest mainstream class of automobiles is being asked to take on a larger role.

Since June, so-called kei cars—a tax-favored category of minivehicles limited to 660cc engines and compact body dimensions—have been allowed to operate as ordinary taxis, marking a notable shift for an industry facing labor shortages and thinning transport networks.

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China’s EV Makers Are Taking Over the European Factories Ford and Nissan Can’t Fill

The challenge for European carmakers like Volkswagen, Ford, and Nissan is whether they can hold their ground against Chinese companies, which make more than half the world’s EVs and are bringing the fight to Europe.

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Image: Rustic Tours

Motorcoach operators could see significant improvements in vehicle reliability and lower operating costs under a proposed rule announced by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would overhaul portions of federal heavy-duty diesel emissions requirements.

The proposal, unveiled by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, would revise elements of the agency's 2022 heavy-duty nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions rule while retaining the underlying emissions standards. Among the most significant changes for the bus industry is a proposal to eliminate emissions-related engine derates — automatic speed restrictions triggered when diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems malfunction.

For motorcoach companies, where unexpected roadside breakdowns can strand passengers and disrupt schedules, the proposed change addresses a long-standing operational concern.

Instead of forcing vehicles into reduced-speed mode or shutting them down due to DEF system failures, newly manufactured buses and other heavy-duty diesel vehicles would continue operating while providing drivers with audible or visual alerts, allowing repairs to be made safely, as METRO previously reported.

The EPA estimates that the broader package of regulatory changes could save the commercial vehicle industry approximately $12 billion, including up to $6,000 per new vehicle, by reducing warranty-related compliance costs and providing manufacturers with additional flexibility to meet emissions requirements.

The agency also proposes extending implementation timelines for portions of the 2027 heavy-duty emissions rule, allowing manufacturers additional time to validate new emissions technologies before bringing vehicles to market.

Source: Metro Magazine

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