Trafficmaster Oracle to cease service

[grain.ben]

Hi guys, just been trawling the Trafficmaster website to find out that after 16 years, they are ceasing the freeway and oracle services, so all you guys, including myself who have a subscription with them, will no longer work as from June 2012 (this month). So, after my holiday this week, i shall be on the phone to them asking for my money back as i subscribed last november for 12 months!

Now im going to have to rip it out and source another dash part that doesnt have the button! 

[grain.ben]

to swee it for yourself, heres the address

http://www.trafficmaster.co.uk/content/1/85/freeway-and-oracle.html

[grain.ben]

oooopps, sorry, ive put this in the wrong place, sorry admins

[Bixy1]

Oh crap!  No point subscribing then . . . 

[Del Boy]

Is this completely? For all cars? I honestly find it helps a lot on a journey.

[tunnie]

It was useless anyway!

[feeutfo]

I thought it worthwhile, until they re worked both my entry and exit junctions, and from then on  the sensors failed to trigger the traffic report until I was committed to the motorway anyway, by which time it could say what the hell it liked. Pointless!

It was usefull before hand though. If sometimes out of date.

I find google maps with traffic option activated seems fairly accurate these days. If anyone has tried that?

[TheBoy]

It was useless anyway!

Once again, for somebody who has never used it, you seem very sure of how good it is

I will miss the service, I've found it a fantastic help, and its dug me out of a few holes many, many times.

Like all driver aids, sat navs included, its not infallible, but if you know how to interperate the information given, its a godsend.

Looks like I need to get my arse in gear with that cd70

[tunnie]

It was useless anyway!

Once again, for somebody who has never used it, you seem very sure of how good it is

How do you know I never used it? It was active on fatherT's facelift when that was brand spankers as a company car.

Remember driving it along M40, towards London. Traffic Master said "Warning you are travelling on the M1"

Err no I wasn't! No way near where it said I was, also time and again it reported issues that just were not there.

Useless heap of junk, no wonder they are ceasing service 

[TheBoy]

I find google maps with traffic option activated seems fairly accurate these days. If anyone has tried that?

Like all GSM reliant solutions, it has some major drawbacks.  One being the reliance on 3g. Something that O2 can't supply out in the country. And obviously, reliant on having a data contract with a usable data allowance.

If it works for individuals, great . Doesn't work for me

[TheBoy]

It was useless anyway!

Once again, for somebody who has never used it, you seem very sure of how good it is

How do you know I never used it?

Because you told me

It was active on fatherT's facelift when that was brand spankers as a company car.

Remember driving it along M40, towards London. Traffic Master said "Warning you are travelling on the M1"

Err no I wasn't! No way near where it said I was, also time and again it reported issues that just were not there.

Useless heap of junk, no wonder they are ceasing service

As said, like satnav, parking sensors and other driver aids, its an aid. Its how you interperate the info . 5/10/15 min delays, who cares, quicker to accept the delay than detour.  Also, by nature, these short delays tend to be transient, so may have long gone a few minutes later.  Increasing delays as you approach an area, useful info, can be something has just happened which will probably on a radio bulletin in 30mins. Longer length delays, allows you to look at alternatives. Severe delays, generally worth rerouting.

Like the satnav trying to send you up a one way street, use it as an aid, not gospel

Although accuracy is normally good-excellent. But not perfect.


And FYI, its the same sensors that are used for *any* live traffic flow system, whether Oracle, phone, BBC/Independent radio, TMC, satnav or mobile solutions

[tunnie]

It may use the same sensors, but neither myself or FatherT ever really found it accurate or useful 

Trouble is quite often it would report a major issue, but the road continues to be fine. So we never really trusted it enough to re-route!

[TheBoy]

It may use the same sensors, but neither myself or FatherT ever really found it accurate or useful 

Trouble is quite often it would report a major issue, but the road continues to be fine. So we never really trusted it enough to re-route!

So if the radio said the m40 had severe delays on, you'd ignore that too 

TBH, in the 4yrs I've used Oracle daily across 5 cars (Bullet, Tractor, Goldie, TBE and the Rover), I can only think of one occasion where a reported significant delay (30min +) was non existent.

In the Rover, it was particularly good, as reception was astounding - used to pick yup the A43 pole near Tesco from Boots, and the one on Jnc11 roundabout one from the roundabout at the top of the hill near Middleton Cheney.


If its what I'd call a borderline delay (20-30m), I'll get Mrs TB to check live traffic cameras, to get some idea if traffic is crawling, or at standstill - latter always means reroute.


The black units are better as well, as it gives a clue how far away the problem is. The silvers lack this.

[tunnie]

It may use the same sensors, but neither myself or FatherT ever really found it accurate or useful 

Trouble is quite often it would report a major issue, but the road continues to be fine. So we never really trusted it enough to re-route!

So if the radio said the m40 had severe delays on, you'd ignore that too 

I rarely listen to any road reports really, stations I listen to very rarely give traffic news. With M40, particularly parts closer to London, detours are pointless, its often quicker just to sit in traffic. Particually between South Oxford & High Wycombe which is usually where problems are!

Traffic Master is in so many cars, yet they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions? I must not be the only one who thinks it was crap

[TheBoy]

they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions

Who says?