News
New route-planning smartphone app launched
September 21, 2012
Those with iPhones or Android phones can access a route-planning app that provides a wide span of information – from realistic travel time based on live traffic data and live views from traffic cameras to Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates.
The app, mapSYNQ, was launched on Monday. It is designed by home-grown traffic and navigation specialist Quantum Inventions. The company has been supplying the live traffic data used in Google Maps for Singapore since 2009.
“We show you traffic webcams on your route, toll gantries and traffic incidents that affect you. To help you save time and money, we offer traffic-aware and ERP-minimisation routes,” said Quantum Inventions’ innovation and technology head Mohit Sindhwani.
The route and journey time shown in the app take into account live traffic conditions, such as accidents and congestion.
Traffic cameras along the route are shown as camera icons. A tap on a camera icon will display the live view from the traffic camera.
ERP charges for the route are shown and users can opt for a route with lower toll fees if it is available.
The motorist can also check how much lower ERP charges will be if he enters the zones at different times after peak hour. The travel time will be recomputed based on past traffic patterns for that route at that hour.
The service is also available for Web access at www.mapsynq.com. If a user sets up a free account on the website and grants access to his Google calendar, appointments on his calendar and his preset alerts will automatically be pushed to the app.
This saves the user from having to key in destinations for routes into the app as the service will pick up the address in the appointment and plot a route from the user’s location to that address.
Parking rates and spaces available are also shown in the app if they are tracked by the Land Transport Authority
Quantum Inventions is currently working on a full turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation app for both iOS and Android devices.
It will be available in the second quarter of the year.