South African transport solutions startup GoMetro has launched a new TV-screen based traffic congestion monitoring product, to help users better plan their transport method and route.
Designed for use in public spaces, such as hotels or offices, the GoMetro TV device connects to a TV screen and WiFi network, and provides a real-time stream of traffic and transport information for building users to watch.
The traffic screen is intended to show building users how bad traffic is in the immediate vicinity, so they can either postpone their journey, or consider using a different mode of transport.
Content shown on-screen includes road-speed, incidents in the area, queue-lengths and other traffic data in the near area. Real-time travel times to nearby popular destinations in the city can also be shown at the fringes of the screen, to provide more information to aid travel decisions.
The screen can also show the location of the closest Uber taxis, and compares the cost of a given trip with ride-sharing prices and times.
The startup says it hopes the screen will serve to have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions, by encouraging people to use public transport and shared transport options, as opposed to private cars.
With this aim in mind, the screen also shows how much CO2 a trip is likely to produce.
“It will make a driver think twice about using their own cars when they realise that they produce up to two tonnes of CO2 a year,” chief executive officer (CEO) of GoMetro Justin Coetzee says.
The GoMetro TV is available in two packages – the professional package offers 50/ 50 advertising revenue and is ZAR1499 (US$105) per month per screen; while the premium package does not have adverts, only corporate messages, at ZAR2499 (US$175) per month per screen.
