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From Left: DCAS Deputy Commissioner of Fleet Management and Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman; DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei; and Los Angeles County ISD Chief Deputy Director Quintin Haynes

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services and Los Angeles County Internal Services Department have launched the Bi-Coastal Fleet Accord, a first-in-the-nation municipal vehicle partnership designed to support clean fleet goals through mutual support, advocacy, and scale.

The accord was recently announced at the 37th Annual Equipment & Vehicle Show. According to DCAS, the partnership aligns the nation’s largest city and the nation’s largest county, which operate the largest municipal fleets and charging networks, into an advocacy block focused on supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles and sustainable fleet operations.

Through the Bi-Coastal Fleet Accord, New York City and Los Angeles County will look to promote continued investment, purchasing, and innovation for alternative-fueled vehicles. The two municipalities will also work together to support a more comprehensive transition to zero-emission vehicles across both locations.

“The City of New York and Los Angeles County operate two of the largest municipal fleets in the country, and through the Bi-Coastal Fleet Accord we are unlocking transformative potential,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “By aligning with Los Angeles County, DCAS is accelerating fleet electrification and helping to shape a more efficient and sustainable future for cities nationwide.”

Quintin Haynes, chief deputy director of the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department, said the partnership establishes a “Bicoastal Bridge” that will allow the two governments to combine institutional knowledge and support municipal fleet transformation.

“New York City and Los Angeles County have been independently pursuing ambitious programs of sustainable and electric fleets,” said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. “Effective today, the nation’s largest city and largest county are in this effort together through the Bi-Coastal Fleet Accord.”

Source: ACT News

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Image: UK Department for Transport, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Passengers in Great Britain could book bus-style and taxi-style self-driving vehicles later this year, after the UK government opened applications for operators to join a new autonomous passenger services pilot.

The scheme will allow companies to apply to run self-driving cars, taxi-style services, private hire-style services and bus-style vehicles on British roads, subject to government approval and local consent. The Department for Transport says the pilot will gather real-world evidence on how self-driving vehicles operate under everyday conditions, including on busy urban streets and in passenger-carrying environments.

UK roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood says the pilot is intended to test the technology while keeping safety central.

“Self-driving vehicles represent a transformative opportunity for Britain, opening up independent travel for disabled people and older adults, while driving growth and creating high-skilled jobs across the UK,” Lightwood says.

Source: Australian Bus and Coach

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Uber, Lyft Drivers in Massachusetts Form First US Ride-Share Union

Ride-share drivers for app-based companies such as Uber and Lyft have unionized in Massachusetts, forming what state officials and labor leaders said was ‌the first officially recognized organization in the U.S. to represent such gig workers. The newly formed App Drivers Union received certification, opens new tab from the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations on Friday to represent nearly 70,000 ride-share drivers operating as independent contractors in the state.

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Voltera and Revel Announce Combination to Create Scaled EV Infrastructure Platform for Fleet and Autonomous Mobility

Voltera and Revel today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their businesses, creating a next-generation infrastructure platform focused on building, owning, and operating fast-charging networks purpose-built for autonomous vehicles, electric fleets, and ride-hail deployment in dense urban markets. The combined platform is expected to include more than 1,000 charging stalls operational and under development across 11 major U.S. metro markets, and one of the largest dedicated charging footprints serving fleet and AV customers in the U.S.

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Blind Waymo Users Revel in the Joy of Riding Alone

Ruben Brunt hopped off a ferry, tapped his white cane against the sidewalk and held his phone to his ear to listen for directions. His destination was a white Jaguar idling a few blocks away — with no one behind the wheel. Mr. Brunt, 28, was born with a rare eye disorder. He can’t drive himself, and had never experienced the feeling of being alone in a car — until Waymo’s self-driving vehicles started navigating San Francisco’s hilly streets two years ago. Now Mr. Brunt will occasionally make the hourlong journey across the bay from his home in Solano County, Calif., just to ride in one. “It’s that feeling of independence and actually having the control,” he said. “Being able to play whatever music you want, feeling like you’re in your own car.”

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Calgary Council to Vote on the Future of Free Fare Zone

Calgary city council will vote on the future of the downtown free fare zone at its regular meeting Tuesday. This comes after the Infrastructure and Planning Committee voted 7-4 to end the zone along 7 Avenue beginning Aug. 1. The Free Fare Zone, stretching from Downtown West–Kerby to City Hall–Bow Valley College stations, was created in 1981 to boost accessibility and mobility in the city’s core. But after 45 years, the administration says Calgary has evolved, and the program may no longer meet the needs of a growing city.

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Translink to Run Temporary Downtown Vancouver Circular Bus Route during FIFA World Cup

A new circuitous bus route will be deployed within the Downtown Vancouver peninsula to help serve the expected crowds that will descend into the area for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and improve overall accessibility and connectivity by public transit due to the detours for various temporary road closures during the tournament. TransLink announced today that this temporary bus route will run from June 8 to July 12 — beginning just before the start of the tournament period, and ending about a week before the championship final.

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STM Demands Ottawa Reverse Transit Fund Cuts

Montreal’s public transit agency, along with Toronto’s and Vancouver’s, is calling upon Ottawa to restore federal public transit funding after it was cut 17 per cent last year. The country’s three largest transit agencies — Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and Vancouver’s Translink — allege that the $5 billion budget cut to the Canada Public Transit Fund in 2025 makes transit funding unpredictable in the country’s biggest metropolitan regions. Originally, the federal government earmarked $30 billion for the fund, and transit agencies say the 17 per cent cut only slows down important transit projects and reduces critical maintenance.

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BYD and Chery Lead China's Advance into Europe's EV Market

Chinese automakers are rapidly gaining ground in Europe's electric-vehicle market, underscoring a transformation from low-cost challengers into formidable global competitors.

Manufacturers, including BYD and Chery Automobile, more than doubled their fully electric vehicle sales in Europe in April from a year earlier, reaching 38,281 units, according to automotive research firm Dataforce data cited by GuruFocus.

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Volvo EV Drivers in Europe Gain an Easier Way into Tesla’s Supercharger Network

Volvo EV drivers will gain access to over 20,000 Tesla Supercharger stations across 29 European countries, starting later this year. But that’s not even the best part of it. Volvo drivers already have access to over three million charging points globally through the Volvo App,” according to Alejandro Castro Pérez, Head of Energy Solutions at Volvo Cars.

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Cabbies Discuss How Iran Conflict Is Adding Pressure on UK Taxi Drivers

The ongoing conflict involving Iran is adding further financial strain to parts of the UK taxi and private hire industry, with drivers reporting higher fuel bills, reduced profitability and softer passenger demand in some areas. Readers responding to a TaxiPoint question about the impact of the conflict described a mixed picture across the trade. While electric vehicle operators said they had seen little or no direct effect when it comes to running costs, diesel drivers reported weekly fuel cost increases ranging from a few pounds to more than £50.

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Hong Kong Proposes Issuing 10,000 Permits for Drivers on Ride-Hailing Apps Like Uber

The Hong Kong government on Tuesday proposed issuing 10,000 new vehicle permits for drivers to work for online ride-hailing services like Uber, less than half the amount that industry representatives were hoping for. Hong Kong has about 18,000 licensed taxis and caps private service car-hire permits at 1,500, and these drivers can be summoned through ride-hailing apps. But the additional drivers who operate through those apps technically are outside the law and in the past have faced arrest, though they are prevalent in the city.

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Xpeng Mass-Produced Robotaxi Rolls off Production Line

Engineered to Level 4 autonomous driving standards means the robotaxi is designed to handle most driving tasks without human intervention in specific conditions. Built on the Xpeng GX platform, it’s powered by four of the company’s own Turing AI chips, delivering 3,000 TOPS of on-board computing power.

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“Taxi Industry Is Watching”: Mzansi Reacts As Gautrain Prepares to Launch E-Hailing Service in SA

Gautrain is entering the e-hailing space with a new service set to launch in October 2026, giving Gauteng commuters another option beyond Uber and Bolt. The Gautrain Management Agency said the app will plug the first- and last-mile gaps that have long frustrated daily riders across the province. According to reports, spokesperson Albi Modise confirmed the service, called Gau Express, will be woven into the existing Gautrain app. Riders will be able to book trips to and from stations without downloading yet another app. The agency says the goal is seamless, connected travel across the broader Gauteng public transport network.

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Image: El Español

California-based ride-hailing and delivery platform InDrive has signed an agreement with London-based mobility fintech GoCab to expand vehicle access for ride-hailing drivers in Morocco and Chile.

The partnership will initially see GoCab supply at least 1,000 vehicles to drivers operating on the inDrive platform through leasing and rental schemes, with plans to scale to 4,000 vehicles across the two countries.

InDrive, which operates its platform in more than 1,100 cities across 48 countries, said the model is aimed at drivers who struggle to secure traditional vehicle financing.

Morocco and Chile were chosen because both markets are seeing increasing demand for flexible earning opportunities, while many existing taxi and ride-sharing fleets are thought to be ageing.

Source: Zag Daily

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