China TransInfo 1st real-time traffic web and cellphone software

Creation date: 11 August 2009

China TransInfo Technology Corp has announced the official launch of China’s first multi-city, real-time traffic website and cell phone software with initial coverage in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Chengdu. The website provides real-time traffic conditions as well as event and street closure details in all five of the cities. Further, information about available parking spaces in lots will be available for Chengdu. In addition, the company launched the multi-city, real-time ‘Traffic Jam Index’, which will classify each city’s traffic as ‘seriously congested’, ‘congested’, ‘mildly congested’, ‘smooth’ or ‘very smooth’ based on the percentage of streets in each city that are congested.

The company’s proprietary technology – based mainly upon GPS sensors installed in fleets of taxis and roadside sensors – offers the most accurate real-time traffic data and the largest urban coverage in China. In conjunction with the website launch, China’s first software that enables motorists to check real-time traffic conditions in multiple cities via their cell phones has also been unveiled. The software is initially being offered free to consumers and is downloadable on the new website.

“We believe these product launches are well-timed, given the recent growth in private vehicle usage in the cities where we offer these services, as well as the unpredictability of travel times due to frequent traffic jams,” explains Shudong Xia, CEO of China TransInfo. “Over time we plan to extend the coverage of our service to include public transportation, such as buses and subways as well. By initially providing free real-time traffic information on our website and through our software for cell phones, we expect to collect more accurate and direct user feedback and accumulate operational experience. We plan to expand our urban coverage to more cities in China by the end of this year.”

Source: http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=15000