CCTV on mobile phones

The Highways Agency is offering mobile phones users the chance to view CCTV footage on mobile phone handsets.

Previously these pictures have only been available to the police and other road service providers. The trial will involve 100 cameras on the M25, M1, M6, M4, M5, M40 M42, M54, M60, A1M and M61, and will extend to the full Highways Agency CCTV network by the end of the year.

Denise Plumpton, Information Director, said: “We’re carrying out this 12-month trial to see if we can help our road users plan their journeys and avoid any delays on the network.

You’ll be able to check real-time traffic conditions on the busiest parts of our network from the convenience of your mobile phone. At this stage it’s difficult to gauge how much it will cut congestion, but if lots of motorists sign up for the service, we’ll have lots of motorists staying off the country’s busiest roads at the busiest times, improving traffic conditions.” It is stressed in the documentation that accompanies the scheme that it is intended as a tool to plan a journey and should not in any circumstances be used when driving.

The technology is already in use in 14 American cities and it is hoped it will aid transport police in that drivers can better plan their journeys to avoid accidents and traffic congestion. The system is free to drivers for the first two weeks. After that a cost of £4 per month will be charged. The trial is being run in conjunction with MX Data which provides mapping and travel information to mobile phone companies. The system is compatible with more than 100 handsets from all the leading network providers.