WIREDGOV

Traffic Wales, the Welsh Government's traffic management and information service, is to launch a new look, easy to use, website yesterday (Thursday 24 November) that will provide up-to-the minute information to motorists looking to plan their journeys.

The revamped bilingual website - which will be refreshed and updated with key information - will include a number of new features to help drivers make travel decisions in an informed and less stressful way.

These features include:

• A straightforward calendar to view planned roadworks or events;
• A freight section tailored for road hauliers;
• Microsoft Bing Maps that will enable the user to find locations more easily and include locations of incidents, roadworks, planned events, message signs (showing currently displayed text) and CCTV;
• Customised email or txt alert service that informs subscribers the moment a major incident has happened;
• Improved links to all Welsh local authority roadworks and road closure information sites;
• Alerting the public to disruptions other than on the road network e.g. flight or train delays.

Minister with responsibility for Transport, Carl Sargeant, said,

“Ensuring that motorists get real time information as quickly and as easily as possible is essential so that they can plan their journeys and potentially avoid congested routes.

“The new look Traffic Wales website will provide motorists with an improved easy to use tool, along with more conventional channels such as the radio, to make informed decisions travel decisions.”  

The Traffic Wales website recorded 763,000 hits between Oct 2010 and Sept 2011 – an average of approximately 64,000 per month.  The peak was on  17 December 2010 when the website had 71,682 hits during the severe winter when many local roads were closed.

Traffic Wales gathers and disseminates real-time traffic information relating to incidents taking place on Welsh trunk roads.

Two control centres; one based in South Wales along the M4 and one based in North Wales along the A55; are used to manage the trunk roads and motorways in Wales through the use of CCTV and electronic signs.

Traffic Wales makes this information available to both the public and the media to help advise of any incidents or events that may cause problems for a journey on our roads. The improved website will play a key part in this role.

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