ITS Monday: Edition 19, 2021
A small collection of curated content from the worlds of intelligent transport systems, smart mobility, and associated areas.
Included this week, EVs and road use charges, e-buses, e-bikes, and e-scooters, parklet extension, and more.
And just in case you hadn’t caught it yet, we have a new series of interviews with transport professionals – Effects of COVID on the transport sector – what they see now, what they would like to happen post-pandemic, and what they think will happen. If you’d like to be join this conversation, drop us a line!
This week’s articles
Now, scroll down, and see what’s in this week’s edition. Oh, and before you do, be sure check out the quickest way to receive our new content via the subscription box just below …
Electric cars and a user charge
From Professor David Hensher and the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies‘ Thinking outside the box series of articles. This subject made ripples last week with Victoria legislating a per kilometre tax on electric vehicles. Hensher argues, “The way forward is to not simply assume a new charge on electric cars, but to revise all charges and align them with user pays. We have been arguing for many years that even before the soon to be exploding debate on the proposed electric car user charge, we should reduce fixed charges such as car registration and introduce a distance based charge; but to get buy in so as to ensure it passes the ‘hip pocket test’ so that people are not financially worse off, but that their outlays reflect the benefit better through the use of the roads.”
READ THE ARTICLE
Keolis Downer $900 million Sydney North bus contract
Staying on the topic of electric vehicles, Keolis Downer has secured an 8 year contract with Transport for NSW to operate and maintain bus services in the Northern Beaches and the lower North Shore, using 125 new electric buses.
READ THE ARTICLE
Plans for dining on parking spaces to be permanent in Melbourne’s inner-north
Parklets: Should they stay or should they go? There’s been something of a clash of opinion on this, and some conjecture over whether they would survive beyond the current COVID, ahhh, series (Worst. Show. Ever!). In Yarra City Council next week that debate is about to heat up, as it votes to extend the parklet solution until October 31. Expect a lot of shouting from the local representatives of Big Parking.
READ THE ARTICLE
Beam, Neuron Mobility snap up e-mobility contracts with Brisbane City Council
With this announcement Brisbane extends its lead in the micromobility movement race in Australia. Beam and Neuron mobility will, from July 22, have 1,000 e-scooters and 400 e-bikes on Brisbane.
READ THE ARTICLE
Australia imports record number of bicycles
Bicycles have been a bit hard to purchase in Australia over the past 15 months, with shortages due to a lot more of us adopting a two-wheel reaction to transport in a pandemic. As this article outlines, the import numbers over the past year have been very strong, it’s just that demand has been stronger.
READ THE ARTICLE
National Travel Attitudes Study: Wave 5
Closing this week’s ITS Monday, we stay with things bicycles and cycling. Here’s the results of an online and phone survey in the UK, ‘around attitudes towards cycling with a special focus on electric bicycles (e-bikes) and cycle training courses.’
READ THE ARTICLEThe idea behind ITS Monday was in part driven by our ITS Weekly Roundup, an email newsletter we send each Friday (subscribe to that here, plus/or our monthly iMOVE newsletter!). That newsletter contains a substantial number of links, and sometimes I think interesting content could be lost in the mix. I also see quite a lot of interesting content on social media (yes, you can follow us on Linkedin and Twitter). So every week I’ll collect a few things, and put them in ITS Monday.
*Inclusion in ITS Monday does not equal iMOVE endorsement. It’s more aimed at discovery, thought, or discussion … or all of those and more. And while for the most part I expect content to be current, a little age doesn’t mean diminished interest.
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As a regular bus passenger on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, I welcome Keolis Downer’s introduction of electric buses on this route. Can’t wait to ride my first one!