You can now access live traffic information.

A new website, www.viewtraffic.info, is working hard to drive down congestion across the UK by offering access to live traffic information. This enables drivers to plan their journey beforehand, make informed decisions on how to avoid congestion and therefore reduce costs and carbon emissions. The system is free to use, and site visits are growing steadily as more cameras are added.

The project has been trialled extensively in London, helped enormously by the BBC who gave unrestricted access to traffic cameras so that the operational aspects of the system could be assessed and any enhancements made.

Local authorities, highways authorities and owners of ‘destination’ venues such as shopping centres, hotels and sports stadia are now invited to submit their cameras to www.viewtraffic.info so that they can be added to the nationwide camera network. There is no charge associated with adding the cameras.

Tremendous costs are associated with traffic congestion therefore any attempt to reduce the figure, even by small amounts, can help boost the economy both regionally and nationally. The aim is to have cameras covering the entire UK within the next six months.

Advantages to adding cameras to the network are:

• The city, town, or venue can be seen live at all times by potential visitors;
• visitors can plan the best route to avoid congestion;
• congestion/carbon emissions can be reduced;
• journey times for visitors are drastically reduced;
• petrol/fuel will be saved;
• road/traffic safety will be improved;
• The council or venue owner will be actively working towards a reduction of carbon emissions.

A cameras can be submitted at www.viewtraffic.info.  Once verified as suitable for use and valuable to the driving community, it will be made live on the site and will greatly help towards driving down congestion in the UK.