The Tainan City Government yesterday disputed satellite navigation firm TomTom NV’s report on the city’s traffic, which described it as the worst in Taiwan, saying that its methodology was unsound.
TomTom, a Dutch-owned company offering GPS-related services and products, published a report on the world’s most congested cities, that listed Tainan as the ninth most congested city in the world, while placing Kaohsiung 20th.
Mexico City, Bangkok and Jakarta came first, second and third respectively on TomTom’s list.
TomTom’s evaluation of Tainan’s traffic was based on flawed sampling of locations and dates, as well as questionable traffic volume metrics, the city said in a statement, demanding that TomTom issue a clarification and publish its raw data.
The report used flawed methodology that compromised the objectivity of its conclusions, the city government cited National Cheng Kung University transport and communications professor Wei Chien-hung (魏健宏) as saying.
The report used a select number of intersections in cities as baselines for comparing traffic flows, which is not a recognized method of comparison in either statistical sciences or traffic control theories, Wu was cited as saying.
Wu said TomTom did not give due credit to the city’s efforts to improve its traffic situation and described its report as “a blind man feeling an elephant,” the city said.
The public does not see Tainan as being the most congested city in the nation, Tainan Bureau of Transportation Director-General Lin Yang-chang (林炎成) said.
The Beimen and Minzu roads intersection selected by TomTom is not a problematic area for traffic, and the area which actually causes the city government concern — Rende Interchange — has seen great improvement in recent years due to the measures implemented by the authorities, such as opening the Dawan Interchange, Lin said.
The challenges posed by traffic in the city center are caused by a railway, and are being addressed by synchronized traffic control measures and improved operation of the railway, Lin said, adding that plans to move tracks underground would eventually resolve the issues.
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