Skip to main content

TomTom partners with UN-Habitat

TomTom has announced a partnership with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. TomTom’s global Traffic Index data will be used by UN-Habitat and its stakeholders around the world to make strategic decisions when tackling urban congestion. Recently TomTom released the sixth edition of its Traffic Index which revealed a clear pattern of increased congestion. Commuters around the world are spending on average eight working days stuck in traffic. This shows that traditional responses li
November 29, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
1692 TomTom has announced a partnership with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. TomTom’s global Traffic Index data will be used by UN-Habitat and its stakeholders around the world to make strategic decisions when tackling urban congestion.
 
Recently TomTom released the sixth edition of its Traffic Index which revealed a clear pattern of increased congestion. Commuters around the world are spending on average eight working days stuck in traffic. This shows that traditional responses like building new roads or widening existing ones are no longer an effective way of managing urban congestion.

“Urban areas are growing fast; they are now home to half of the world’s population and are predicted to reach 6 billion by 2050. How we plan and manage our cities in terms of basic services, mobility or connectivity is going to be essential to ensure better cities. TomTom’s data will give us vital insight, providing a more accurate analysis of urban traffic congestion. This will help policy makers and local governments develop sustainable, workable and lasting urban solutions,” said Dr Joan Clos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director.
 
“TomTom is committed to investing in new ideas and technologies with the aim of bringing significant benefits to drivers, businesses and society as a whole. This partnership will help urban planners and government stakeholders make more informed decisions to tackle urban congestion,” added Harold Goddijn, CEO of TomTom International.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Maintaining momentum: learning lessons from the London Olympics
    November 15, 2013
    Japan will not only host this year’s ITS World Congress but has been selected for the 2020 Olympics. So what can Japan, and indeed Brazil, learn from the traffic management for London 2012 - Geoff Hadwick finds out. It was a key moment when Olympic boss Jacques Rogge signed off London 2012, calling the Games “happy and glorious.” Scarred by the logistical disaster of Atlanta 1996 and the last-minute building panic for Athens 2008, Rogge clearly thought London 2012 was an object lesson in how to plan and
  • Data is driving force behind TomTom's intelligent traffic management
    August 23, 2024
    The complexities of modern urban life have put unprecedented strain on transportation infrastructure. Traffic congestion, accidents, and inefficient resource allocation are persistent challenges. However, as Frans Keijzer, Bid Manager EMEA and APAC at TomTom Enterprise explains, a powerful tool has emerged to reshape the way we manage our roads: big data.
  • Tomtom offers authorities sensor-free traffic monitoring
    October 12, 2016
    Tomtom City, a traffic information and analytics package designed to help authorities monitor road conditions without the need for roadside infrastructure, is on display on Tomtom’s stand at this week’s ITS World Congress. The company collects data from 450 million connected devices worldwide (6% of Australian vehicles or occupants have a connected device) to determine vehicle speeds, congestion levels and incidents on most roads – and not just those in urban areas. Authorities using City can monitor traf
  • Australia’s Transurban to trial road user charging
    March 27, 2015
    Speaking at a major industry forum, Scott Charlton, CEO of Australian toll roads operator, Transurban, said that the country’s major cities risk a decline in liveability without major investment in transport systems and an overhaul of transport funding model. Charlton said that despite significant progress by state governments traditional funding systems were outdated, unsustainable and unfair, and cannot sustain the funding needed to address Australia’s transport infrastructure deficit. Charlton said it