European project ‘SOCRATES 2.0’ launched pilot site with improved navigation service

The SOCRATES 2.0 pilot in Amsterdam was launched on 9 December 2019, with a new navigation service to improve the traffic flow around Amsterdam. In the event of imminent traffic jams, drivers will be offered an alternative route in time via the navigation system. Thus, the traffic will be better spread over the total road network, resulting in fewer traffic jams. The services are offered by TomTom, Be-Mobile (Flitsmeister) and BrandMKRS (Livecrowd Mobility). The service providers are looking for testers of the services.

Navigation advice is now based on avoiding traffic jams that already exist. The advice is therefore reactive. This test looks ahead to provide proactive route advice. To achieve this, road authorities and market parties must work closely together. They share their available information and combine it to get a complete and accurate picture of the current and near-future traffic situation. This real-time traffic information is combined with historic traffic data, to calculate the probability of a traffic jam in the next 15 to 30 minutes. As soon as the analysis reveals that there is a substantial probability of congestion, test users are offered an alternative route via their navigation service. Users of the service not only spend less time in traffic jams themselves but also contribute to reducing traffic jams on other routes.

Road users who regularly drive in the Amsterdam region can register as a test user via socrates2.org/register. After registration, users will receive instructions from the service provider on how to install the service on your smartphone. With a number of short surveys, test drivers are asked about their experiences with improved navigation services. The trial runs from December 2019 to the summer of 2020. Read more about the launch of the pilot site here.

SOCRATES 2.0 stands for ‘System of Coordinated Roadside and Automotive Services for Traffic Efficiency and Safety’. It is a European project based on a cooperation of road authorities, service providers and car manufacturers. It aims at improving car mobility by promoting cleaner, efficient and safe flow of traffic. Find more information on the activities and planning on the project’s roadmap.