The hardware
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The Tom Tom satellite-navigation will be familiar to many people. As a sat-nay device is supposed to, it plans the route and visually and audibly guides the driver to the destination. It is possi ble to plan a route in great detail, such as avoiding toll roads or congestion charges, or taking in a particular landmark. Maps are installed using a home computer, though up-to-date traffic information, on congestion for example, is sent straight to the device.
Despite all this technology, restricted access routes for LGVs are not marked out. A TomTom spokesman says: We do not recommend that LGVs drivers buy our product for their work. There are currently no plans to provide a truck-specific product."
The software
While ToniTom provides the hardware needed for working out the routes, seperate companies such as Navteg are engaged in creating the digital maps themselves.
Navted describes Its digital road mapping system as offering ''complex road geometry plus details such as addresses, exits and road attributes everything from dividers and turn restrictions that make accurate routeing possible" So while it is possible to map out restrictions, it is harder to update them or provide real-time information on temporary restrictions, such as building sites.
One of the major issues facing suppliers is now to charge for such a service.