The real-time status of trains will also be shown by Google Maps.Google Maps in India has been updated with three new features for public transport including buses, trains, and auto-rickshaws. Maps will now reflect travel time for buses from live traffic as well as real-time train status for Indian Railways trains. In addition, auto-rickshaw and public transport have been combined for suggestions related to mixed-mode.
Google Maps will take advantage of the company’s live traffic data and public bus schedules to offer information regarding delays as well as travel times of buses. So, a user can find out in real-time how long their bus journey will take depending on traffic conditions.
To get bus travel times, a user will need to enter their starting location as well as destination and then click on the transit tab. The buses that are on time will show in green, while that running late will be displayed in red. The feature will be available in ten Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chennai, Mysore, Coimbatore, and Surat.
Next up, the real-time status of trains will also be shown by Google Maps. To see a list of trains for specific routes, users will need to enter their starting location or starting station as well as the destination. Whether any of the trains are delayed will also show up in real-time.
Finally, journeys that combine auto-rickshaw and public transport in Maps will get directions support. The feature will be available in Delhi and Bangalore initially.
“The public transport tab on Google Maps for Android will now tell you when taking such a journey is a good option, how long it will take, which station you should take an auto-rickshaw to/from,” said Taylah Hasaballah, Product Manager, Google Maps in a company blog post. More details that will be shown include rickshaw meter estimate as well departure times for transit connection.
