A new digital radio station's been officially launched today, broadcasting nothing but travel news. Traffic Radio, as the name suggests, is aimed at drivers – and carries the latest road information with bulletins from Trafficlink. The DAB stations include regional travel news for 5 different areas of England and are also available to hear online.
It's run by the Highways Agency using government money. Transport Minister Tom Harris launced the station at their National Traffic Control Centre in Birmingham today.
He said, "Traffic Radio will provide helpful information to enable people to make choices about their journey, whether they're driving for work, visiting relatives or going on holiday. The radio format allows people to check traffic conditions easily before they leave the house or office. Those with DAB radios in their cars will also be able to make informed decisions about alternative routes, should conditions change when they are en route. And people with mobile internet access will be able to check the latest conditions when they take a break from their journeys."
Content on the station will be updated every 10 minutes at busy times. Infomercials are also broadcast, giving safety advice and tips on journey planning.
The Highways Agency trialled the idea on the internet and on several FM RSLs – feedback from drivers showed there was a demand for the service . It's expected to be rolled out to more DAB multiplexes over the next two years, and there are also plans to extend it to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the future.
Tom Harris continued, "The Government is committed to investing in reliable and helpful information to help people plan their journeys. We have provided £160 million for the National Traffic Control Centre to co-ordinate information and make services like Traffic Radio possible. We know that people like to receive information in a number of different ways. The new services we are launching this summer give customers a choice of easy-to-use channels so they can make well-informed decisions when deciding how and when to use our road network."
Click [link=http://www.trafficradio.org.uk]here[/link] for the Traffic Radio website.
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