Malaysia launches traffic data platform
By GovInsider
With this initiative, the government hopes for less traffic jams and more road safety.
The Malaysian government has launched a platform which will help tackle traffic congestion and safety issues in the country, Digital News Asia reported today.
Called OpenTraffic, the initiative provides open data to traffic management agencies and city planners. This data allows them to manage traffic flow better, improve on traffic light control and coordination, and make informed decisions on transport infrastructure, the report said.
30 representatives from local enforcement, town planning and council agencies were given an early preview of the service. The platform converts GPS data from cab drivers in Malaysia into anonymised traffic data, which can reveal traffic speeds, congestion peak periods and travel times.
"It is only practical for traffic solutions that can impact a nation to be born from local data," MDEC Digital Economy Division director Karl Ng was quoted as saying. Another country which has used this platform is the Philippines, which introduced OpenTraffic in April 2016, according to the report.
Data from the service allowed the Philippines government to improve on traffic signal times, lower transport costs and shorten commutes.
Image by Jason Thien – CC BY 2.0