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Say goodbye to gridlock

MATTHEW BURBIDGE | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Jul 07 2009 14:27

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A three-way partnership between Cellfind, TrafficNet and Tracker means South African motorists can now receive live traffic updates -- and navigate away from gridlock.

The service, called miTRAFFIC, will provide motorists with traffic reports as well as a "heat" map of congestion for areas within a 50km radius of the subscribed location.

The initiative uses Tracker's SkyTrax technology to measure traffic flow based on the speed and position of about 100 000 vehicles fitted with Tracker devices. The company has also stripped out the "nuisance variable" from trucks, according to spokesperson Gareth Crocker, because these vehicles move a lot slower than your average SUV in a hurry.

While 100 000 vehicles may not sound like a lot, Crocker says that at the very least there'll be three or four vehicles on the road at any time, say, on the notorious highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg. This provides enough information to show that vehicles are crawling along at 30km/h after which you'll head off the highway in search of a back road.

In addition, the service makes use of TrafficNet -- a national traffic incident service -- which will provide the reasons for the congestion.

Crocker says they're also looking at partnering with other automotive navigation providers such as TomTom or Garmin.

The service costs R12 a week and subscribers will receive 10 traffic updates for their R12. To subscribe customers can either SMS the word REGISTER to 31887 or register online at www.mitraffic.co.za.

And now that you know where to go, why not install Trapster, that will warn you of traffic officers behind bushes.

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Comments

A much better system and easier to implement is simply for each cell transmitter to count the vehicles with cellphones that lock onto to it.
This information should already exist on the cell transmitter computer log.
By choosing the cell-transmitters closest to the highways, traffic flows can easily be extrapolated and shown as a coloured graphic on your cellphone.
Traffic speeds on the highway can also be plotted from the time taken to hand over from one station to another.
When the traffic stops moving, time to sit at home with another coffee till it starts again.
All three Networks should link together to make the info even more reliable and provide this as a public service in the interests of road safety etc.
R12/week would seem to be exorbitant simply for relaying existing info - doubt whether you would save that much in petrol as there are no real alternate routes to the highways around Johannesburg.

Dennis Hoines on July 7, 2009, 3:31 pm

Add that to already exorbitant cell phone costs..
My vehicle happens to have SkyTrax fitted - would I get a discount if my vehicle position gets utilized?

Mark S on July 13, 2009, 4:08 pm

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Say goodbye to gridlock

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