Arad, in Western Romania, is the first city in the country to become a partner of Waze Connected Citizens, a network with more than 100 partners around the world. The city’s councilors approved a decision in this sense on Tuesday, October 31.

Waze is a popular app among Romanian drivers, offering real time information on the traffic. The app gathers information from drivers who use it while offering them the best routes at a certain moment, based on available information.

“By simply keeping the app open on the phone, Waze gathers traffic data (speed/timing needed to make turns) and uses them to detect traffic jams and to include them in an archive so that Waze will always know, according to the hour and day of the week, which are the fastest segments and turns,” reads the decision adopted by Arad’s city councilors.

The initiative belongs to local councilor Bogdan Boca, who told local News.ro that the collaboration with Waze will start in around one week. From that moment on, the local authorities will use the app to offer information to the drivers.

“The Local Police will have an account in the app, which it will use to post information on infrastructure works that affect the traffic and notify drivers about streets closed for various reasons, including public events. In return, we will receive information from the app users about the areas where traffic jams are reported, and the Local Police will intervene to streamline the traffic. Drivers will let us know about the holes they find in the asphalt, and the other information collected will be used for a study of traffic,” Bogdan Boca explained.

The decision adopted by the City Council shows that there were 329 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in Arad in 2015, and the figure is expected to go up to an average of 414 cars per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023.

In May 2016, Gabriela Firea, who was then running for the mayor seat in the Bucharest local elections, said she planned to use the Waze app to improve the city’s traffic management. However, she dropped the idea after being elected mayor.

Former communications minister Augustin Jianu said in early April this year that the traffic in Bucharest would be 10-20% more congested if drivers didn’t use the Waze app.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Waze on Facebook)