Toyota Unit Touts Low-Cost Traffic Report Service

Toyota Tsusho Corp. is looking for new markets in Asia and the Middle East for a novel traffic information system that requires only smartphones and cloud servers, The Nikkei reports.

The system identifies traffic jams and road closures by collating automatic reports collected every 15 minutes from taxis, trucks and other vehicles equipped with smartphones and GPS. The system integrates some 50 million such reports per day, according to The Nikkei.

Customers receive a map showing real-time updates on their smartphones or in-car navigation system. Toyota Tsusho introduced the service to 10,000 customers in Thailand earlier this year.