General Logistics Plc and Cray Systems Ltd have launched the Trafficmaster personal computer, a real time driver information system that gives updated information on the state of traffic on more than 1,000 miles of British motorway every three minutes. It covers the area up to the North Midlands, west to Bristol and to the South Coast and channel ports. A network of infra-red beacons are set up every two miles along the motorway which register the speed of the traffic and this information is then sent to the control centre in Luton. The Trafficmaster display can indicate where the jams are and the actual speed of the traffic. It is available in either automatic mode, in which a predefined series of maps are displayed suitable for a reception area or service station, or in an interactive mode whereby the user can select which maps are displayed to help route planning. There are future plans to include more A grade roads, but the system concentrates on motorways as there is often no choice but to sit in a jam once you have reached it. An additional service covering the area within the M25 motorway is provided with information displayed in text form from Motoring Organisations and the police. The product can be stand-alone or run on a corporate network and is designed to work under Micro soft Corp Windows on personal computer with at least a 80386 chip and and VGA screen. As traffic congestion costs UK industry an estimated $15,000m a year, it is hoped that the product will help make more efficient use of the motorways and give companies in distrib ution and transport, for exam ple, a competitive advantage. Licences are UKP2,350 to UKP18,000 depending on the user numbers.
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