MMDA Traffic Navigator FTW!

Been using the MMDA Traffic Monitoring system for several weeks now but have not really blogged about it since I was waiting for an Android App or an iPad App. But, it looks like TV5 and MMDA has already officially launched the service the other night after being on beta for about a month.

If you follow @mmda on Twitter, you know you can actually ask them about traffic situation in certain areas and get answers instantly.

However, it would be nice if you can just pull it up on-demand. That’s what the MMDA Traffic Navigator does. It’s a visual microsite that shows traffic situation along EDSA and C5.

The site offers 3 visual interfaces that show live traffic conditions along the major roads in 15-minute intervals (it’s not really live but 15 minutes should be enough). Of the three, I liked the System View the most (there’s the Line Item view and Google Maps View). You can filter the results for Northbound or Southbound traffic as well.

Traffic is rated as Heavy, Moderate or Light with corresponding color codes. Just click on the POI (point of interest and more details will pop up on the screen.)

The microsite is best viewed on a laptop/netbook or tablet (renders very well on the iPad). It’s usable on smaller smartphones since you can always zoom in or out of the map.

Here’s some more improvements that, I think, should be included in future updates.

Get the apps out soon — Android, iOS, Symbian (we’re still a Nokia country) and BlackBerry. I hear they’re doing a beta on the iOS now. An Adobe Air app could be of good use for netbooks and laptops too.

Probably extend the traffic monitor to more areas like Kalayaan, Shaw Boulevard, Katipunan, etc.

I understand MMDA has live cameras along these routes. Maybe a screenshot of the actual traffic in those locations will give commuters more qualitative information on how heavy or light the traffic is.

The site is currently hosted on mmdatraffic.interaksyon.com which is a bit too long to remember or verbally share. A URL shorter or domain (traffic.ph) would do or maybe something like traffic.mmda.gov.ph. I understand this is a joint project with TV5 so they’d want to host it on their domain but a URL redirect can fix that too.

They also should put a disclaimer at the bottom of the website that says “This is where your taxes go”. *jk*

The MMDA Traffic Navigator is a really good start and I’m glad some branches of the government are catching up with the times and employing some really usable online services (we featured the DTI Mapping Project in Bohol earlier).

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

22 Comments

direct lender says:

12 years ago

I’ll right away take hold of your rss feed as I can’t in
finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service.
Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
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onlyweknow says:

13 years ago

Someone already did an app.

http://app.net/metrotraffic

Free but has ads though.
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justin says:

13 years ago

better than nothing i guess..
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Sam Pinto says:

13 years ago

It’s inaccurate. I almost blew my pictorial this morning. There are other traffic info sites out there.
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Lol says:

13 years ago

Wow some people are just plain ingrates. Use it as a reference guys, don’t take it as it is. Para naman kayo di nagdadrive kung sa tingin nyo kaya ipredict real time ang traffic. Sheesh *facepalm*
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Boom says:

13 years ago

i also experienced what brian mentioned. i was choosing between c5 & edsa northbound.. i had just come from edsa and it was heavy (and red on the system) while c5 was yellow.

When i got on c5, it was also rather heavy despite the thing still saying it was light.

it can be still inaccurate and will not depend on it.
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Brian says:

13 years ago

Based on my experience, i would have to say its around 80% accurate. There were a few time nakalagay Yellow(Moderate Traffic), i was so surprise because usually Heavy traffic going south on EDSA at 3pm on a weekday. But when i reached the area, it was almost not moving. Checked again while on the road with my ipad and Yellow parin sya. hehe Oh well better than nothing. Just don’t be to dependent on it. Still better to leave early.
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Les says:

13 years ago

True because a traffic can change in 3-5min. and mmda cannot react that fast to update all areas. :)

Brian says:

13 years ago

Based on my experience, i would have to say its around 80% accurate. There were a few time nakalagay Yellow(Moderate Traffic), i was so surprise because usually Heavy traffic going south on EDSA at 3pm on a weekday. But when i reached the area, it was almost not moving. Checked again while in the road with my ipad and Yellow parin sya. hehe Oh well better than nothing. Just don’t be to dependent on it. Still better to leave early.
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Ray says:

13 years ago

I agree the URL should be something easier to remember. The can even do it for free with bit.ly — http://bit.ly/mmdatraffic
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Calvin says:

13 years ago

meron na neto sa blackberry pinakita saken ni liane.
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razorous says:

13 years ago

Astig! For bb?? Do you know where i could get the app?

Jonaflormicfren says:

13 years ago

This information is really very important to those fellow who are commuting in NCR.
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Glenn Ong says:

13 years ago

I love the joke you placed in there. But if you think about it, it’s really true. MMDA is the best gov’t agency so far in terms of innovation and efficiency.
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Iyan Sommerset says:

13 years ago

Great start, a lot of room for expansion. Maybe later on they’ll have live streaming webcam feeds for known chokepoints.

Also, in light of the recent rains and consequent floods, a “baha warning” overlay would be really useful. And a “road under construction” overlay and “active vehicular accident” sites.
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Num Lock says:

13 years ago

This is so cool. Using technlogy for the benefit of many, online, real time, cheaper.
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Juag says:

13 years ago

“Metro Traffic Live!” is available on the Android Market and it gets its data from the MMDA. No Google Maps integration though. It only shows the system and line view.
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Christopher Quijano says:

13 years ago

Been using the traffic navigator since launch. Super laking tulong sakin especially I travel from Pasay-Ortigas-Makati-Eastwood and vice versa. Kudos to the MMDA Team especially to their head Yves Gonzales!

Oh, may alternative site (that redirects to the navigator site:)

http://mmda.gov.ph/navigator/

Enjoy!
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