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A New Twist In Toll Fee Smishing Schemes

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In Britain, some fraudsters have reached a new low in attempts to lure people into paying money or disclosing personal financial information. According to ITV News, authorities report that people are receiving smishing texts, letters, and telephone calls demanding payment of Gull Wing Bridge tolls. However, the Lowestoft, Suffolk, span that opened in September doesn’t have a toll.

The scammers claim to represent Lowestoft Town Council, which owns the new bridge. In addition to assuring the public there is no toll, the council is asking that recipients of the payment demands contact investigative agencies.

Two More Trans Sumatra Toll Road Segments Open

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Antara News Agency reports, yesterday, Indonesian president Joko Widodo inaugurated two more sections of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road, one in North Sumatra Province and the other in Jambi Province. The new segments measure 32.15 kilometers and 34 kilometers, respectively, or a total of 41.1 miles. The president commented that the new tollways “will help boost regional competitiveness and create new economic growth points both in North Sumatra and Jambi. As the main toll road, Trans Sumatra is expected to speed up the mobility of people and goods and ease logistics distribution.” He also used the occasion to correct a popular misconception that the nation depends solely on private investment and private contractors to expand its toll roads network.

TransCore Recruits Google Veteran To Lead Smart Mobility Initiatives

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Jackson Castleberry has joined TransCore as senior vice president of smart mobility ecosystems with responsibility for leading the ongoing delivery of innovative smart mobility technologies and solutions. According to the company’s announcement, “Castleberry’s addition to the TransCore leadership team strategically positions the company to deliver enhanced value for customers across the evolving smart mobility ecosystem. His appointment further underscores TransCore’s commitment to investing in next-generation transportation technology and addressing emerging mobility challenges.”

Mr. Castleberry joins TransCore from Google, where he held various strategic partnership management and business development positions over a 14-year period. Among other things, he oversaw strategic partnerships and commercial growth for Google One and Google Photos. He was instrumental in bringing Google Fiber and other products to market, and developed expertise in Google’s advertising business.

TransCore president and CEO Whitt Hall, commented, “TransCore is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that anticipate and solve the evolving challenges faced by our customers and the transportation industry, and our success is underpinned by top talent from both within and outside the industry. Jackson is an exceptional leader whose experience with one of the world’s foremost technology innovators will significantly advance our initiatives and strengthen our leadership in transportation solutions. TransCore is renowned for providing superior value and trusted, industry-leading solutions to our customers, and Jackson’s appointment reinforces our commitment to enhancing these capabilities.

Utah Focuses On Making Air Taxi And Delivery Drone Services A Reality

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KSTU reports, the Utah governor’s office, the Utah Inland Port Authority, and 47G, a state-based aerospace and defense industry association, are among the collaborators working on development of services using all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. “Utah has been preparing for a world of air taxis and delivery drones. The legislature’s Transportation Committee consistently pushes through bills to regulate airspace and delegate to Utah’s Department of Transportation a lot of the oversight. UDOT itself has been involved with experiments on vertical takeoff and landings, including one earlier this year in a Layton parking lot.”

The organizations involved in the initiative are planning to ramp up pilot projects over the next year. Their goal is to launch air taxi service in time for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Backers’ ultimate vision is to tie “advanced aircraft into mass transit options for Utahns.”

Atkins Modeling Toll Helps Cities Anticipate Climate Change Impacts

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On the National League of Cities website, AtkinsRéalis provides a glimpse of the firm’s City Simulator, a tool designed to help local leaders anticipate and plan for the impacts of climate change across interdependent infrastructure, utility, and social network systems. The simulator uses scenario modeling to help planners understand how their current baselines may change under various conditions, such as wildfires, flooding, or warming temperatures. Case studies from Atlanta and Boulder are described, with links to the results of both studies.