Trafficlink

Trafficlink
Branding	Trafficlink
Launch date	1995
Official website	www.trafficlink.co.uk

Trafficlink is a British company specialising in providing real-time traffic information. Clients include the BBC, ITN, ITV, Sky News and Transport Direct. In partnership with Global Traffic Network it provides traffic and travel information to the majority of UK commercial radio stations including Bauer Radio, Global Radio, Absolute Radio and GMG Radio, along with the Highways Agency's Traffic Radio.

History

The company was founded in 1994, by Ben Budworth, as Metro Networks Ltd, loosely based on the American company Metro Networks US. As a direct competitor to the then market-dominant AA Roadwatch, the company negotiated a number of contracts with local commercial stations in its early days, and benefited heavily from an agreement to supply all BBC local radio stations with travel data in 1998. In 2001, Metro Networks was rebranded as Trafficlink and, a year later, was co-awarded an enlarged BBC contract, which saw the company supplying data to the corporation's national stations, with the Serco group. On Friday 7 December 2007 it was confirmed that ITIS Holdings made an initial £10.5 million cash payment to acquire Trafficlink from private equity firm Dunedin. ^[1]

UK Wide

Trafflclink has offices throughout the UK: London, Altrincham, Birmingham, Bristol, a base within Traffic Wales' Control Centre in Cardiff and a base within Traffic Scotland's Control Centre in Glasgow. It also had an office in Middlesbrough which closed in 2009.

Television

Trafficlink provides innovative television traffic bulletins, which combine an on-screen presenter with from-the-scene camera footage of traffic incidents and delays. Trafficlink’s ITV bulletins are currently broadcast in the London area three times each weekday morning.