BOTH the AA and the RAC have announced joint ventures with traffic information provider Trafficmaster in a bid to boost their service to customers. The RAC and Trafficmaster have ploughed £1 million into a new business venture to launch a range of telematics systems to manufacturers and motorists.

The joint venture company, called RAC Trafficmaster Telematics (RTT) launched at the start of this month and strengthens the successful partnership between Trafficmaster and the RAC which began with the launch of the Traffic Alert 1210 congestion warning device. RTT will run under the day-to-day management of Trafficmaster from its Milton Keynes headquarters and will assume full responsibility for RAC telematics activities while providing the breakdown organisation's traffic and travel function.

Trafficmaster and the AA have announced a five-year deal for the traffic information supplier to provide congestion data from its national network of roadside sensors to the breakdown organisation. The aim is to combine the congestion information with data from AA's Roadwatch network to give an improved service to customers.