BBC using Ushahidi's Crowdmap to plot tube strikes

BBC London is pioneering the use of newly released technology from open source mapping project Ushahidi to show the disruption caused by tube strikes in the capital.

Using Crowdmap, BBC London is plotting text reports, tweets and audio updates from listeners and viewers about their problems with transport during the strikes, which are expected to last until 9:00pm today.

Larger dots on the map indicate multiple reports of information for that area. Users can also set up mobile, email or RSS alerts for the map. Reports can be submitted on Twitter and Audioboo using the hashtag #TubeStrike or via an online form and email.



The map, which can be filtered by type of transport, shows a mixture of verified and unverified reports of disruption. BBC London has also set up an Audioboo channel for strike updates.

"This should provide a much fuller and illuminating picture of how the Tube strike is affecting Londoners. Not only through our updates on it, but more importantly the public can mark where and why they are stuck," Steven Phillips and Claire Wardle, who are behind the site, told Journalism.co.uk.

Crowdmap was released by Knight News Challenge winner Ushahidi earlier this month as a quick and easy way to deploy its mapping technology.

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