Tracking Car Congestion Using Mobile Phones

LogicaCMG's Mobile Traffic Services (MTS) has successfully delivered reliable information on travel times and vehicle speeds in part of the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant using a new approach to traffic monitoring. LogicaCMG gathers the information by tracking the volume and movement of GSM mobile telephone units being used by drivers on national and secondary roads. A study carried out by Goudappel Coffeng traffic research and consultancy demonstrates that the data produced by this system has proved to be an accurate reflection of traffic movement. MTS has also delivered comparable results for slip roads leading to and from national roads.

The MTS data on national roads is at least as accurate as the information gathered by Rijkswaterstaat (Department of Public Works) by means of a loop detection system built into these roads.

Unlike other systems, MTS is capable of providing traffic information on the entire road network -- which includes both national and secondary roads. The present loop detection system only provides information on national roads. The loop detection infrastructure is costly, logistically complex and requires regular maintenance. MTS removes all these issues by providing a subscription-based service to road managers where they can access traffic information on a 24x7 basis. Furthermore, the road manager does not have to set up an additional management organization.

Peter de Wolff, project manager for Noord-Brabant: "Initial results show that MTS is very promising. This system stands a good chance of establishing the basis of traffic management in our province and indeed throughout the Netherlands. Using MTS, we want to make better use of the road network, for instance by giving travellers timely information about the traffic situation, expected travel times and alternative routes."

"Goudappel Coffeng's initial findings confirm that our Mobile Traffic Services are suitable for a wide range of applications by road managers and for information provision to motorists," says Ben Rutten, project manager for LogicaCMG. "We have the technology, the applications have been developed and traffic information can be supplied. MTS is now ready to be deployed on a large scale by traffic managers."

MTS was first carried out as a pilot in July 2003 by the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant in the Breda and Tilburg area -- on and between the motorways A16, A58 and A59 and the secondary road N261. Measurements were taken during and outside peak hours. The province wanted to use MTS to obtain a better picture of traffic flows.

MTS uses GSM network data and is implemented in co-operation with Scottish partner Applied Generics and telecom operator Vodafone. The MTS traffic data is calculated using location data anonymously retrieved from the GSM network. A representation of the movement of mobile telephones across the road network is obtained by means of coded data. Travel times and speeds are then calculated based on this information. The anonymous information is retrieved from the GSM network via passive monitoring, without individual mobile telephones actually being approached.

The definitive results of the validation study will appear in January 2004."

Posted to the site on 20th November 2003