SUNA Traffic Channel spreading to Sydney, Brisbane

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 09:22

Your IT - Entertainment

The SUNA Traffic Channel that provides Melbourne road users with real-time road information will be extended to Sydney and Brisbane in the middle of the year.

SUNA data is broadcast inaudibly by commercial FM radio stations, and can be decoded by compatible GPS navigation units to deliver warnings of trouble spots. Upmarket models may automatically direct the driver onto alternative routes in the event of substantial delays.

Raw data for the service comes from traffic light control systems, human observers, tow truck allocation systems, probe vehicles that report their position and progress, roadside weather sensors, and a calendar of major events.
 
The system went live in Melbourne late last year, and was expected to begin operation in Sydney and Brisbane in the first quarter of 2008. No explanation for the delay has been given.

There is no news of progress on the Adelaide and Perth services that were also supposed to commence this year.

The announcement of a midyear start in Sydney follows yesterday's major incident on the city's F3 freeway that blocked the road for hours.

"Intelematics is looking to soon begin trialing the service in Sydney and is aiming to begin rolling out the service for the CBD during the next few months," said Adam Game, CEO of Intelematics Australia, the company that operates SUNA Traffic Channel.

The TMC system used by SUNA is widely deployed in Europe. It is also used in the US, and has been approved as a standard in China.