buses

traffic jams, collapsed buses and 400,000 people without a planned alternative

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Closed with a message at midnight and no backup plan. This is what the 400,000 people who take one of the Rodalies trains in Catalonia every day have found. The railway system has come to a complete halt after the an accident in Gelida (Barcelona) in which a trainee driver died and a second train derailed, this one without consequences, between the stations of Blanes and Maçanet (Girona). What has happened? Last night, Rodalies Catalunya reported that a train on Rodalies line R4 in Barcelona had suffered an accident. In it, everything indicates, a retaining wall fell on the train as it passed. On impact A 28-year-old trainee train driver has died and 37 injuries have been recorded, of which five are in serious condition. Furthermore, between the stations of Blanes and Maçanet (Girona), a few hours earlier another train had derailed. This time as a result of a landslide that left some rocks on the road. In this case there have been no victims on a train in which only 10 people were traveling. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Rodalies closes. A few minutes before midnight, Adif confirmed that all Rodalies lines in Catalonia were suspended until the status of all the lines was checked, but assured that, when it was verified that there were no obstacles on the tracks, the service would be restored. This morning, the trains have not left the depots. Rodalies confirmed that the train service will remain suspended until Adif checks the status of all the tracks. Rodalies points to the damage caused by Storm Harry, which has left heavy rains in Catalonia and has even been warned of flooding. The stoppage also comes after SEMAF (Spanish Union of Railway Machinists) will release a statement announcing that they are going to call a general strike in the sector and that they would stop the service if security was guaranteed throughout the Catalan network. Click on the image to go to the original tweet 400,000 people. Every day, around 400,000 people move around Catalonia using the Rodalies service. Today, Wednesday, January 21, they learned that there are no trains to get to work or drop the children off at school. But, above all, there is no alternative plan to replace the trains, so passengers have to find their own means to get around. Rodalies has 134 stations and its 462.7 kilometers of tracks cover the most extensive Cercanías service in Spain. In total, it is made up of 13 Cercanías lines and 6 regional train lines. The Barcelona Cercanías service, with six lines and two branches (R2 Nord and R2 Sud), is the most extensive. a challenge. The suspension of the service without alternative measures anticipated a chaotic day in Catalonia and, especially, in Barcelona. And the forecasts have been fulfilled. In The Country They note that many passengers were not aware of the measure when they arrived at the stations and that they were not offered any alternative there. In The Vanguard They collect complaints from passengers who are not being told when service can return. Some of them, they point out in the newspaper, have waited for an hour at the stations for trains that have never arrived. It was not until 7:00 when the stations closed definitively. From early in the morning, bus services are saturated in Barcelona. In 20 Minutes They collect the voice of a driver from Barcelona, ​​who assures that “it is chaos. Normally we are always full, but today even more so.” Given the difficulties students face in arriving, the University of Barcelona has canceled all exams. The rest of the universities in Catalonia maintain normal activity although they have asked students who cannot travel to an exam to contact their teacher as soon as possible. For now, the only alternative proposed by the Generalitat It is the recommendation to prioritize teleworking wherever it is allowed or possible. The roads. On the roads, Trànsit has chosen to raise the toll barriers on the C-32 south in both directions of travel. To the suspension of Rodalies we must add the impact on traffic on fifteen roads (ten of them are cut off by floods or landslides) as a result of the storm that is hitting the autonomous community. In The Newspaper They report that all accesses to Barcelona are jammed or have been jammed early in the morning. In addition, various accidents have made traffic even more complicated. Photo | Transit In Xataka | The liberalization of the AVE has not gone down well with Renfe, so now it has a plan: delay the Cercanías movement as much as possible.

Barcelona is tired of cars not respecting the bus lane. So it’s installing AI cameras on its buses

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2,500 violations in one month. That is, Barcelona City Council could have fined more than 80 drivers every day. It has not done so because, at the moment, the project is in the testing phase, but it has served the City Council to confirm its suspicions: the invasion of the city’s bus lanes is a constant and a real problem. To confirm this, Barcelona City Council has launched a pilot test equipping four buses with cameras enhanced with artificial intelligence. They are units of lines H12, which crosses the city on Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, and D20, which in this case covers the entire route of Avinguda del Paral-lel and a nearby section around the port. The project was already presented last February but it wasn’t until summer when we knew all the results. Four buses and 2,500 violations The data published suggests that something is not working in the Catalan city. They collect in Hybrids and Electrics that just four units collected more than 2,500 violations in just one month. These infractions have not been sanctioned because, as we said, it was a pilot project that will serve to define new strategies and look for solutions. The truth is that it is obvious that the Barcelona transport company has to deal daily with all types of vehicles that illegally occupy a space that should serve to prioritize the passage of public transport. To record these infractions, the cameras recorded the movement and position of the vehicles as the bus moved forward. They specified in the presentation of the project that cameras have not been used in the study to identify people or license plates. The software, they say, only counted if there was an object blocking the road and is capable of discerning illegal occupations, such as a parking lot, from those permitted (taxis, right turns…). With the data they want to propose solutions among which, of course, the possibility of turning buses into real moving radars has not been mentioned. Although buses have highlighted the problem, the truth is that Barcelona already has the so-called “multacar”cars with cameras that record violations of the bus lane and that, these do, issue penalties with the violations found in their path. And the city council also has similar vehicles that They control regulated parking areasinstantly checking if a car has exceeded the allowed time and, in that case, fining it. The big difference is that installing this system on the buses themselves would allow the fleet to become an exercise in constant surveillance throughout the service. And taking into account the data recorded, the volume of sanctions would be expected to be very high in that case. Photo | TMB In Xataka | FlixBus wants to operate international bus lines in Spain. He has encountered two enemies: Alsa and Avanza

Byd has the future of buses in their hands and they are bad news for European brands

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Throughout the last years we have seen how the automobile industry has revolved around the conquest of multiple Chinese manufacturers looking for a piece of cake in Europe. Byd has been Great participant in this situationbut we still have something to say. And is that the Chinese giant recently presented his new E-Bus Platform Platform 3.0with the promise of also revolutionizing the public transport industry. The highlight: 1,000 volt technology and batteries integrated directly in the chassis, a formula that seeks to lead in the sector. Byd buses. The new platform incorporates for the first time in the bus sector A 1,000 volt systemthe same as Byd already uses Tang Ev and Han Ev in its electric cars. This allows ultra -grape loads that would drastically reduce stop times, something key if we talk about public transport operations. In addition, integrate batteries LFP Blade directly in the chassis, which promises a lower ground and a better use of space. The figures. The first model based on this platform, the Byd C11, offers battery configurations from 184 to 593 kWh, with autonomies ranging from 220 to 730 kilometers according to the Chinese cycle. To put this in perspective, it is an autonomy that far exceeds the majority of current European electric buses. According to Bydthe C11 “has an autonomy exceeding 400 kilometers with full load and air conditioning.” Cars technology. Byd has moved innovations of its car division to public transport, including the DISUS-A adaptive suspension system and a sophisticated thermal management system 7 in 1. The platform also incorporates Driver Assistance System 2.0 and an intelligent torque control system (ITAC), in addition to security functions such as an emergency stop button and stability control in case of a tire count. At the moment, only in China. Byd advances by leaps and hungry, while European bus manufacturers such as Mercedes, Man, Volvo or Scania bet on incremental evolutions of their existing platforms. On the other hand, Byd does not sell cars in the United States, but it has been making electric buses in California Since 2013which shows that its buse division also has the capacity to adapt to the western public. A touch of attention. The E-Bus Platform 3.0 promises a significant leap with respect to previous platforms. In addition, the company assures which offers a reduction in energy consumption of 18% and an increase in autonomy in low temperatures of 50 to 80 kilometers. With the great presence of ByD in public transport in other regions, this new platform is a warning that the Chinese manufacturer can, at any time, call the European public transport market door, and perhaps with the same force as with its cars. Cover image | Byd In Xataka | The modern car is no longer a car: it is a trap for privacy

In 2024 Japan introduced autonomous buses. Now 68% of the prefectures want one

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Urban mobility is immersed in a process not only of change, but of revolution. When electrification still has not advanced to the combustion car in All countriesthere are already those who move file in the autonomous driving. And not with Promises like ‘Robotaxi‘, but with autonomous vehicles that are already circulating in the cities. Japan is an example of this and, after months testing an autonomous bus on a very specific route, almost 70% of the country’s prefectures want to. And it is not because ‘Mole’: Japan is one of those countries that, almost more than any other, needs public vehicles without driver. Autonomy Level 4. At the end of December last year, A driver without a driver began to cover A route of 800 meters between the stations of Takahama Eki-MAE and the terminal of the port of Matsuyama. It would repeat the path 60 times a day and, although its figures are modest (12 passengers and a speed of 35 km/h), it has become an example for something very concrete: it has level 4 autonomy. The vehicle is quite bland, but it is up to sensors and AI systems that allow analyzing everything that happens around it in real time. It is what allows you to operate on its own, even in danger situations, and Five levels of autonomy which establishes the Society of Automotive Engineers, this minibus is almost at the maximum level. Although there is a Operator ‘Vigía’. Buses. The manufacturers have put the batteries, since Japan made a review of the Road Traffic Law with which, as of April 1, 2023, they allowed the use of level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads. Several companies put themselves to it and, apart from the mentioned Matsuyama line, other companies are offering an internal bus service, all with level 4 certification. They are very specific journeys such as Haneda Innovation City In Tokyo, with a level 4 bus that leads at a maximum speed of 12 km/h in an internal circuit of 800 meters or those of Tier IV that already They operate A continuous service between Komatsu station and Komatsu airport. Expansion. The government itself is promoting The expansion of this technology, setting objectives such as establishing services at the regional level in at least 50 locations by the end of this 2025 and in more than a hundred by 2030. The priority is mobility services such as buses or taxis, not so much private or logistics vehicles. He liked it. Both the measures and the operation of these buses have liked, so much that almost 70% of Japanese prefectures They are considering Adopt level 4 buses to guarantee the mobility of the inhabitants, especially in poorly populated areas to which it perhaps does not ‘rent’ so much to send a bus operated by a human. And is there any benefit to the traveler himself? At the moment, the studies point to rates that are not very different from those that are applied in conventional services, but the savings for the traveler is estimated at 11% for bus trips and up to 61% for taxi trips as technology evolves, matures and settles. But of course, that is the estimated thing, another song will be that companies apply sales as the product costs them less. Need. And the most important thing about this expansion of autonomous buses, at least in Japan, is that it is not simply to apply technology for applying or saving jobs. It is something that responds to a real need: Japan has no workers. Long and tendency we have treated the demographic winter that the country is living and the measures they are adopting (some more effective than others) to relaunch birth. The problem is that The population is very aged, There are no young workers And that is why Robots are used either Autonomous systems. And not only urban mobility, since it is raising that the first ‘bullet train’ debut in 2029. And it is not that it is unique in the world (years ago We already got on one in Malaga), But as we say, in the case of Japan we are talking about something crucial because, if there are no workers, the robots will have to assume the task. Image | Iyotetsu In Xataka | The autonomous driving was the great absent in the presentation of the Xiaomi Yu7 and there is a reason: the Chinese government

The Ribeira Sacra is becoming a lethal trap for tourist buses: there are too closed curves

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In April a bus full of retirees was heading to the cannons of Sil, one of the tourist points more striking of the Ribeira Sacra. When trying to turn in one of the curves that gives access to this location, the bus He got stuck. Not only that: its front part was on the edge of the road and exposed dangerously to the slope that led to the river. It is the third incident of this type in the last two months. Curves too closed. Last weekend another bus full of tourists was caught on the Lu P-4103 road, between Ferreira de Pantón and Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil, in the province of Lugo. As they point out In Galicia Newsthat section is already known for its closed curves, which are not a problem for cars, but that are for buses. A misleading road. As they point out In the voice of Galiciathe road that has become a nightmare for buses cheats at the beginning. When Ferreira de Pantón leaves “it seems safe, but its final stretch, the descent to the bridge that crosses the SIL near the Santo Estevo train station, not only narrows, but earns pending and is filled with curves.” It is in the two worst, 180 degrees, in which buses can get stuck. The narrowness and slope join the problem and turn these curves into a true trap for buses. Black Points in La Ribeira Sacra. To that black point are joined by the entries to the Tourism Parador of Santo Estevo, in Nogueira de Ramuín, and to the abandoned monastery of Santa Cristina, in Sil Parada. Access to Playa de A Cova is also complicated. GPS browsers don’t help. In that incident the driver, alerted by a neighbor, was able to maneuver and turn to continue the journey by an alternative route, the N-120. The problem in many cases is that the GPS browsers used by drivers indicate that LU P-4103 is the fastest route, but do not offer notices about those paths that can be an important problem for heavy vehicles. The two possible routes: La Corta (Lu P-4103) is the one that makes us go through closed curves that can become a bus trap. Better the longest route. To go from Ferreira de Pantón to the jetty of Santo Estevo, from where the guided tours of boat to the cannons of the Sil, there are two possible routes. The browsers They show both. The fastest is that of the Lu P-4103 road, 18 km away and that is traveled on average in 28 minutes. The second, adequate for heavy vehicles as buses, is what is made along the N-120 road, with a 28 km route that is completed on average in 36 minutes. In this second case there are no closed curves that threaten buses and other heavy vehicles. And it is not easy for them to be updated. Today we depend on companies such as Google and Apple and their maps to use their browsers, but it is not easy to suggest changes in these maps to prevent such problems. Each of the three major alternatives acts as follows: WAZE: It only allows you to warn of incidents andn real time (Works, cars in the gutter, bumps, objects), but there is no way to suggest that this type of notices are added to the map permanently. Is A very voted request In your suggestion mailbox, but for now there is no update that allows you to do something like that. Google Maps: It allows to contribute With data or content errors, such as Add or correct roads, although this option is “only available in some countries and regions.” Although we can notify on cut roads, it is apparently not possible to mark that road as narrow or with curves too closed for heavy vehicles, for example. Apple Maps: In Apple’s service there is also the option of Notify incidents In real time, and also to inform with a problem And the signage, what? The neighbors themselves expressed in the voice of Galicia their opinion on a problem that has an obvious solution: signaling these roads to warn of these closed curves. As those neighbors indicated, “it is not understood that they have not yet placed warning signs on the roads.” Spokesmen of the Diputación de Lugo indicated in that newspaper that that is effectively the solution, and confirm that they will “reinforce and improve signaling” on that road to “anticipate these situations, protect both users of the road and the environment and guarantee a safer and more orderly circulation.” Image | Saxad Isz In Xataka | Painting color asphalt is the latest trend on half -world roads. And the DGT has its own plans

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