[coolabhi]

Traffic has been a crucial part of every Mumbaikar.Spending 2 hours in traffic per day is quite normal for daily commuters,thats like 44 hours per month (considering 22 working days) ,which means 2 days per month spent in traffic!

Finally Mumbai traffic police has taken a commendable effort and developed this real time traffic guide.It relies on 1700 GPS-fitted taxis moving around mumbai.Based on the movement of these cabs the app can predict whether the traffic on a particular route is slow moving,jammed or normal.

Quite a logical effort must say and best part is that this will be a free app.

Times of India team tested it over few routes and found it to be fairly accurate.Fitting GPS on more taxis will make the app more accurate.

Here is a detailed report - http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[Y@SH]

The App has already been released its fairly raw and needs a lot of improvement. Downloaded it for my iPhone today its called Traffline.

I'd rather use Traffic feature available on Google Maps which is far more reliable than this.

[Wind]

Originally Posted by Y@SH

The App has already been released its fairly raw and needs a lot of improvement. Downloaded it for my iPhone today its called Traffline.

I'd rather use Traffic feature available on Google Maps which is far more reliable than this.

This is the what Google traffic showed when I was in the middle of a traffic jam that lasted for more than 20 minutes yesterday ( Location : Hosur road near E.City, Bangalore) . I believe the service is at its nascent stage and it would take some time for it to be reliable.

-- Wind

[neofromcapone]

Any such effort must be applauded. Only when we use them and help them improve, will we get what will be helpful to us. This is an app on my to-do for today to download

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by coolabhi

Spending 2 hours in traffic per day is quite normal for daily commuters,thats like 44 hours per month (considering 22 working days) ,which means 2 days per month spent in traffic!

WOW. Interesting way to look at it.

I have to say that traffic is the #1 thing i HATE about living in a city.

Originally Posted by coolabhi

It relies on 1700 GPS-fitted taxis moving around mumbai.

I always fantasized about a system like this. However, are GPS-fitted radio-taxis the best choice?

Radio taxis (the type you call and reserve) typically spend a lot of time parked by the side of the road waiting for customers. How does the software know when the cab is stuck in traffic vs waiting below a person's house?

When i thought about it - i imagined BEST buses were the best bet. They run regular routes. They cover the length and breadth of the city. They run at regular intervals. And they run at all hours of the day when users would want traffic updates. Sure, they stop at bus-stops, but its momentary and its a known evil (ie. roughly the same from day to day - so can be adjusted for).

Originally Posted by coolabhi

Quite a logical effort must say and best part is that this will be a free app.

Indeed good to see this happening.

Check out their twitter updates too : https://twitter.com/traffline

Can't seem to find this in the Android Play Store though?

Originally Posted by Wind

This is the what Google traffic showed when I was in the middle of a traffic jam that lasted for more than 20 minutes yesterday

Yikes. Perhaps they didn't have enough of a sample size to update the road?

I notice that traffic data appears and disappears for roads depending on how many users there are on them.

Also, on Tuesday the "Traffic" layer disappeared entirely on the web interface. Not sure why. Probably trying to find a new 4th RED colour for Ganpati

Originally Posted by neofromcapone

Only when we use them and help them improve

This is true.

Its bound to get better as more users use it. (Though its still unclear as to exactly where Google Maps gets its traffic data from)

cya
R

PS - Removed "first ever" from the title, as i think google maps beat them to it.

PS2 - Here's what Google Maps real-time-traffic looks like for those who haven't seen it.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

I always fantasized about a system like this. However, are GPS-fitted radio-taxis the best choice?

Radio taxis (the type you call and reserve) typically spend a lot of time parked by the side of the road waiting for customers. How does the software know when the cab is stuck in traffic vs waiting below a person's house?

Radio taxis are a geed fit because there is a known "State" of car.

Car is either "Engaged" i.e. has picked up the customer and is charging the customer, "Waiting" for the customer or "In Transit" to customer's place.

If radio taxis transmit state of the car to Traffline, they can use it to determine if car is just standing or is stuck in traffic.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

WOW. Interesting way to look at it.


Its bound to get better as more users use it. (Though its still unclear as to exactly where Google Maps gets its traffic data from)

Attachment 989281

There was some article on the net where they have hinted they get data form Traffic police and users who have their android phones connected to the net. Not sure how accurate this is too. As with many advancements this is also in the nascent stage and will only improve over time!!
For now, when I try to check traffic conditions on the phone and actual (My office overlooks a busy road in Central bangalore), the google traffic update does seem accurate.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Radio taxis are a geed fit because there is a known "State" of car.

Very cool! Thanks.
Though i still think BEST buses might be better. (No "waiting" state too).

Originally Posted by hrman

There was some article on the net where they have hinted they get data form Traffic police and users who have their android phones connected to the net.

They are definitely getting data from Android phones. I'm just not sure if/how/how much they are also using other data points (eg. traffic police like you mentioned).

An interesting way they do it in some US states like California is track how long it takes for a particular car to go from one toll-gate to another one further along the road. They use RFID sensors like EasyPass etc at the toll-gates to tag cars.

cya
R

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Though i still think BEST buses might be better. (No "waiting" state too).

Definetly. Now every bus is fitted with a GPS tracke when it comes in for a yearly upkeep. For almost all router, status can be tracked online:

http://www.bestpis.in

Only issue is, nest has sold data to a private company and not sure what they are charging for data.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Also, on Tuesday the "Traffic" layer disappeared entirely on the web interface. Not sure why. Probably trying to find a new 4th RED colour for Ganpati

Well, it turns out there is actually a 4th colour (ie a darker red). Noticed this when passing a ganpati procession



cya
R

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Well, it turns out there is actually a 4th colour (ie a darker red).

There is another one that seems to be a special for WE Highway around JVLR It is this darker red with black dots. Proaably means you can get out car and get a cutting chai.

[Desmosedici]

Thing is how long will this app run and be updated. Knowing the state of affairs, this would just be a gimmick by someone who wants to show that he / she is doing something. When that person is transfered, no one else will even maintain this.

Sorry for being negative but i have absolutely no hope when it concerns anything related or being done by the govt.