March 4, 2008
Internet, March 4, 2008. Yandex launches Traffic 2.0, a user-generated traffic congestion monitoring service. Real-time traffic speed data will be reported by volunteer participants. Any user of a mobile phone with a GPS module can participate in the program by simply downloading Yandex.Maps volunteering to participate and automatically feeding traffic data to Yandex. Info about his speed and location will be traced automatically from his device to the system.
Starting today, Yandex mobile maps for Moscow display not only red and yellow (congested) segments, but also green (clear) roadways. A street is marked green if a participant reports having averaged 40 km/h or higher.
“Any driver knows that any assistance on your way is helpful. It’s great when someone let you know about danger ahead with flashing high beams to you. With Traffic 2.0 we could help each other by reporting the best itinerary for the moment,” says Andrey Vasilevsky, the head of Mobile Applications in Yandex, “Everyone can leave his green trace in the Moscow traffic history. Join us and you’ll find out that you are not alone”.
The traffic jams map is available for Moscow only, but Traffic 2.0 will soon be available for other cities as well. First and foremost, it will cover the cities with the highest number of people eager to help other drivers. The new application for Yandex.Maps service is currently in beta testing. Anyone who owns a mobile phone with a GPS module can use it (it supports three platforms: Symbian, Windows and Java). In future, user generated content will be available for all internet users at Yandex.Maps service.
