[LINK] Freely available spatial database

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Howard Lowndes wrote:
> 
> Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>> Howard Lowndes wrote:
>>> Does anyone know of a freely available (or even reasonable cost, as it's 
>>> for a commercial application) spatial database similar to the TIGER/Line 
>>> database available in the US?
>>>
>>>   
>> Howard,
>>
>> The ABS's national shapefiles, down to Census Collection District level,
>> are available at reasonable cost - not much more than $100 for the CD. See:
>> <http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00121564/60fabd1bcba7bd2cca25721300127fad!OpenDocument>
>>
>> The price list is towards the bottom of the page, what you want is the
>> Basic Community Profile CD set.
>>
>> The CD includes the full Census data set as well, so you're able to tie
>> the geographic stuff to the data covering that geography. Be warned,
>> however, there's a plethora of tables, which makes it a little difficult
>> to manage!
>>
>> What are you making the maps in?
> 
> It's not so much map making as wanting to identify routes between places 
> - ala a SATNAV displaying the the best route between two points so as to 
> work out the shortest out of a set of routes - is point B closer to 
> point A than point C is closer to point A, or is point D even closer to 
> point A.   I want it as part of a taxi booking, dispatch and management 
> system idea that I am playing with - trying to drag the taxi industry 
> into the 21 century at reasonable cost.
> 

So, are you suggesting that Taxi fares should be charged point to point rather 
than on the basis of distance and time?

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202