On Sept. 8, leading microblogging service Sina Weibo and Chinese Web mapping content and navigation service provider Autonavi Software partnered to create "V Traffic," a public service platform that will provide real-time traffic information.
The deal also encourages government transportation agencies to set up service spots across the country.
The two companies have also unveiled their first product, the City Traffic Index Board, on the same occasion. The board provides real-time speed of motor vehicles as well as traffic situations in 45 key cities in China.
According to Shanghai's China Business News, the local governments of Beijing, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Dalian have already agreed to join the "V Traffic" platform.
Under the plan, Autonavi and Weibo will gradually create the platform by which data on traffic can be distributed and analyzed. "V Traffic" is set to channel the data to the microblogging portal to disseminate the information to a huge number of users.
For Autonavi chair Yu Yongfu, data is "awakening and reconstructing the supply and demand of society," citing that in a few more years, data will be vital in establishing smart cities, specifically in areas of traffic.
Meanwhile, Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei revealed that there are now over 100,000 certified official government Weibo accounts covering most of government's functions.
Taking advantage of the Weibo platform, the Chinese government was able to build a reliable service system that provides users with wide-ranging data, including public safety, weather warnings and road conditions.
Wang further remarked that the partnership with Autonavi can help the firm enhance its traffic information services.