Agency uses geographic information system map as basis for real time view of gritting activity
Transport Scotland has produced an app that gives users a near real time view of which trunks roads have been recently gritted.
Scotland’s national transport agency developed the Trunk Road Gritter Tracker app with technology from GIS mapping company Esri UK to show drivers where gritter vehicles are in operation.
It provides information on the location of vehicles and where they have travelled over the past 24 hours. This helps drivers in planning how to deal with severe weather.
The initial view of the map provides the current location of active gritters and vehicle trails for the past two hours; zooming in makes it possible to view trails going up to 12 hours or more and to see the number of gritters at a depot.
Reducing risks
Martin Thomson, network impacts manager at Transport Scotland, said: “In Scotland, gritting is essential during cold weather to keep traffic flowing and reduce the safety risks to the public. In the age of smartphones and real time information we needed to go much further in providing details of our gritter treatment through digital means.”
The agency developed the app using the ArcGIS Online web map supplied by GIS specialist Esri UK.
The company’s head of government, Paul Clarke, said: “Winter treatment costs a lot of money; Transport Scotland’s Winter Service costs between £12-13 million per year. The additional insight provided by ArcGIS into the timing and routes used in real life by the gritters leads to optimisations for Transport Scotland that saves money and improves safety.”
Image from ESRI UK
