Google Maps has launched 6 useful features to make the journey of Indians easier. The company says that these features have been developed with the help of artificial intelligence and local partners so that people can get a great experience during the journey.
Google says that the new features are aimed at solving the common problems that Indians often face while traveling. The arrival of these features will benefit millions of people in the country, who use Google Maps to see the route during the journey. Let’s know everything about these features in detail…
1. You will get alerts about narrow roads
Many times while looking at the route on Google Maps, you enter a narrow road where it is difficult to drive a four-wheeler. Later, Google Maps is blamed for this that the app did not suggest the right road. But now Google has solved this problem of the people. To solve this problem, Google is now using AI to help users avoid such narrow roads, this will especially help four-wheeler drivers. Using satellite imagery, street view and other data, the system estimates the width of the road and tells the drivers about the narrow road, where driving a car can be difficult. If there is a narrow road somewhere on the way, it will alert the user in advance through a special symbol.
This feature estimates the width of the road. Google has developed an AI model specifically for Indian roads, which uses satellite imagery, Street View, and other information such as road type, distance between buildings, to estimate the width of the road.
Also Read: Now, residents will have to go to Dadri to get a driving license
Using these road width estimates, the feature alerts car users to avoid these narrow roads if possible so that the journey can be completed on time. This means that now car drivers will be able to travel tension-free and this will also benefit bikers, pedestrians and other passengers as they will not have to face traffic jams.
However, sometimes, one has to travel on a narrow road, especially when that is the only way to reach the destination. However, this feature will help people to proceed with caution.
The company said that this feature will be rolled out on Android devices in eight cities this week, including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati. It will soon be rolled out to iOS and other cities as well.
2. Google Maps will tell you whether to climb the flyover or not
While travelling on an unknown road or in a city, many people are confused whether to climb the flyover coming in front of them or stay on the service road. Now Google has solved this problem of the people. Now Google will tell you with accuracy whether to climb the flyover or not.
The new feature of Google Maps will give information about all the flyovers coming in your way. The advantage of this will be that you will know in advance whether you have to climb the flyover coming in front of you or not.
The new feature will be rolled out in 40 cities of the country this week. Users will be able to see these flyover callouts for four-wheelers and two-wheelers on the Android app and Android Auto. The feature will soon be available on iOS and CarPlay as well.
3. You will be able to find EV charging stations based on the charger
Many brands are now launching electric vehicles in the country. Many people hesitate to travel by electric vehicles because they fear that if charging facility is not available during the journey, they may have to face trouble. But the new feature of Google Maps will give EV drivers the freedom to go on long journeys with confidence. Now people will get useful information about EV charging stations on Google Search along with Google Maps. With this, India has also become the first country to show two-wheeler EV charging stations.
To make this easier for EV drivers, we are collaborating with leading EV charging providers – ElectricPay, Ather, Kazam, and Static – to add official information for over 8,000 charging stations, Google said.
Now, you can easily find detailed information about EV charging stations. You can also filter by your vehicle’s charger type and check if the station is open before you go to the station.
4. Metro tickets will be sold through Google Maps
Now you will be able to buy metro tickets from Google Maps. Google Maps has already been showing information about public transport (metro, train, bus) to people. But now Google Maps is also providing its users the facility to book metro tickets.
Last December, Google announced a collaboration with ONDC and Namma Yatri to provide people with a better public transport experience. Now, the metro ticket booking feature of Google Maps is going live in Kochi and Chennai.
The feature, which is coming this week, will make metro travel even easier for people in Kochi and Chennai. The feature is powered by ONDC and Namma Yatri. Now, when people in these two cities search for public transport directions, they will see a new booking option for the metro. With a simple tap, you will be guided through the booking and payment process powered by ONDC and Namma Yatri, eliminating the hassle of waiting in line at the station. The feature will soon be rolled out to other cities as well.
5. You will be able to report incidents happening on the road
Now through Google Maps, you will be able to easily share information about things happening on the way with others. Suppose, there has been an accident on the road on which you are traveling, a big journey is going on or construction work is going on, due to which the traffic is getting affected, then you will be able to report it on Google Maps to help other people coming on that route.
Google said that we have simplified the way you report road accidents. Whether there is construction work going on on your route or a traffic accident, you can now report it with just a few taps. You can also confirm reports from others with a single tap, which helps increase trust in the incidents reported by these users. This update is available on all platforms – Android, iOS, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on Google Maps in India.
6. You will get a curated list for your favorite places
If you are going somewhere and you know in advance which places are worth seeing and where to get good food, then the journey becomes easy and there is no problem in planning. Google Maps has also come up with a feature that will give you all the information about your favorite place where you are planning to visit. Google said that to get the most out of the journey and enjoy it, it is very important to get recommendations that you can trust, and that is why we are making it easier to find such useful lists from local experts and the Google Maps community.
We have made it easier than ever to create and share a list of your favorite places. Imagine you are planning a trip to Jaipur with friends or family, with our “Lists” feature, you will get complete information about that place. You can also give information related to your trip, share recommendations and vote using emojis on where to go!
For this, we have also partnered with local experts like NDTV Food and Magicpin. They have compiled lists for ten major cities and tourist destinations, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur, with tips and recommendations on the best places to eat, drink and visit. Now, when users search for these places on Google Maps, they will find lists like “best sea view cafes in Goa” or “best places for breakfast in Mumbai” or “best shops to eat sandesh in Kolkata”.
