In the build-up to the ITS World Congress in Singapore (October 21-25), navigation and traffic information company TomTom has announced that the second generation of its tool for reporting road closures, works and events, is now available.
The company’s Road Event Reporter is an easy-to-use web-based application that allows road authorities and trusted TomTom partners to help drivers avoid unnecessary delay and frustration by reporting current and upcoming road events. Using the next-generation information tool:
- Cities and road authorities can announce roadworks in time for drivers to find new routes and stop congestion from forming;
- Event organizers can announce races, festivals, or street markets that might disrupt traffic;
- Trusted partners can add critical information in real-time to enable the most optimal driving experience for their customers.
The free-to-use Road Event Reporter, which is map-based and allows the visualization of traffic flow and incidents, is available in the 81 countries where TomTom provides real-time traffic information.
“Government agencies, automotive and logistics customers, as well as drivers in general, rely on our real-time traffic information to keep moving, so capturing as much information as possible on road closures and other events is absolutely critical for us,” said Ralf-Peter Schäfer, TomTom’s VP of traffic and travel information. “That’s why we’ve developed our next-generation Road Event Reporter tool which is even more intuitive for cities and road authorities to use.”
In Singapore, TomTom also announced a collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. that will combine its own highly accurate real-time traffic data and high definition maps with the Japanese electroics giant’s expertise in intelligent transport system (ITS) deployments. Working together, the two companies will create mobility solutions designed to improve road safety and traffic congestion.
Koichi Washimi, general manager of Sumitomo’s systems and electronics division, said, “Mobility is undergoing a major change, more so now than ever before, with innovative technologies and business models being born one after another. We believe that so many challenges in the intelligent transport systems field can be solved by fusing the expertise and technologies of our two companies, so I am delighted to be working with TomTom.”
TomTom’s CEO, Harold Goddijn, added, “Our vision of a safe and autonomous world can only be achieved by working with innovative, expert partners like Sumitomo Electric. We’re very excited about the possibilities of our collaboration in tackling global mobility problems like traffic congestion and road safety.”
In a third announcement, TomTom revealed an agreement with ChargeHub, a leading aggregator and digital platform for public electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations (EVS). ChargeHub will provide TomTom with access to one of the largest databases of public charging stations in North America, bringing the total global number of charging stations integrated with TomTom’s maps to more than 300,000 at 100,000 POIs (Points of Interest). The company’s maps and EV Service include global coverage and provide real-time availability information to reassure drivers during their search for charging stations, helping to combat ‘range anxiety’ issues for EV drivers.
Simon Ouellette, co-founder and president of ChargeHub, said, “By working with TomTom, we are ensuring that the most complete and accurate information relating to charging becomes more widely available. We believe that this will bring more visibility to the EV infrastructure and help accelerate the transition to electric mobility.”
