Waze Beacons to remove tunnel blindness at Tun Razak Exchange, first in region

By CARSIFU | 4 March 2020


KUALA LUMPUR: Waze is working with Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) here to leverage Bluetooth connectivity underground and provide seamless navigation to drivers when there is limited GPS signal reception.

This will help ensure better location services, increased driver safety, and better visibility of real-time traffic events while driving underground in TRX.

Waze said the programme is the first of its kind in South-East Asia.

The Waze Beacons, installed and owned by TRX City, do not collect data and work by emitting a signal that can aid navigation apps including Waze, making it easier for drivers to navigate underground areas with multiple exits and roundabouts during periods of poor connection, and prevent traffic confusion and congestion.

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The signals are available for use by all developers looking to make it easier and safer to get around TRX.

Waze’s partnership with TRX has seen these devices installed across TRX’s Basements 2 and 3 which have up to 3 and 21 decision points respectively leading out to parking spaces, and various connecting roads and highways.

These installatations are set to serve as a pilot-scale project for other parts of Kuala Lumpur.

"Our underground roads are an ideal test ground as they lead out to key exits, and we look forward to enhancing TRX’s level of services. Ensuring seamless connectivity is critical to support TRX’s status as an international financial hub.” said TRX City Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Azmar Talib.

“The Waze Beacons programme will help realise the TRX master plan of making the district the best-connected address in Kuala Lumpur. The development will have direct access to major highways such as the SMART Tunnel, Maju Expressway (MEX) and the future Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE), as well as connections to Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail via many ingress and egress points.”

"Through Waze Beacons, we hope to reduce drivers’ hesitation and confusion stemming from signal loss, and reduce traffic congestion and frustration on the road,” said Waze Malaysia country head Kelvin Sim.

Waze Beacons was launched in 2016, and has rolled out in countries such as the United States, Brazil, France, Italy, Australia, Norway, and the Czech Republic. As of today, the coverage spans 260km of tunnels and roadways worldwide.

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