Mumbai's traffic advisory firm gears up for expansion

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) An intelligent traffic monitoring solutions venture that provides real-time information to help commuters estimate their travel time and select the best route has received a Rs.20 million boost.

Indian Angel Network (IAN) has invested Rs.20 million in Birds Eye Systems (BES), a Mumbai-based company, which will help the start-up expand its footprint around the country, enhancing the scope of its traffic monitoring services.

Currently, the service is available in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, where users can ask for traffic conditions on any route.

BES is working on integrating maps with text messages that it sends out to those requesting for traffic conditions. The users can also see the company's website for the required information.

Currently Traffline, the company's flagship product, is a low-cost, real-time traffic monitoring system that broadcasts live traffic conditions to road commuters using its patented technology.

Established in 2006, IAN also provides constant access to quality mentoring, vast networks and inputs on strategy as well as execution, investing over $30 million (Rs.15.4 billion) in start-ups.

BES, promoted by Brijraj Vaghani and Ravi Khemani, with a background in the US wireless and internet industry, had earlier received small funding from the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), according to an IAN press release.

Vaghani, co-founder of BES, said: "We approached IAN for investment as it brings a refreshing approach to early-stage investing with a quick response time."

BES launched its product early this year, notching up nearly 1,000 visits daily. The company's taxi booking service launched in September 2011 has built 15,000 user base and is now geared to add more cities and taxi service providers.

IAN member Rajiv Dadlani said: "Birds Eye System's real-time traffic tracking and monitoring solution solves one of the biggest pains that commuters face in the country -- traffic."

Co-founder Khemani said: "'Birds Eye Systems' highly scalable product is built on a platform that continuously analyses live vehicle movement and displays results on Traffline.com."

Users can download this information from www.traffline.com, the company's online platform and it can be used by commuters, traffic police, emergency service providers and infrastructure and city planning agencies.

The user can also avail real time traffic information on his mobile phone from http://m.traffline.com/