Google Maps has added a handy new feature that should make your commute less stressful, no matter where you are in the world.
Google has launched a new tool that will make your commute less stressful. Image by damircudic/Getty
Google has launched a new feature that will let users know if local trains, buses, ferries or subways will be crowded so that they can make better informed transport decisions (i.e. wait to snag a seat on a less crowded journey or squeeze on board with the other passengers). The new feature is called “crowdedness predictions” and it covers 200 locations across the world.
The feature launched on 27 June and it can be accessed on Android and iOS devices. With the new feature, when users searches for directions in Google Maps, the recommended routes will include predictions of how crowded a particular mode of transport will be.
The new feature is available on Android and iOS apps. Image by Google
To build the feature, Google has been asking some Google Maps users to provide additional details about their commute when travelling during rush hour for the past few months. After completing their trips, users were given four options: “many empty seats, few empty seats, standing room only, or cramped standing room only.” Passengers voluntarily selected the relevant information, which Google then analysed and aggregated to predict “crowdedness” throughout different commutes.
When analysing the feedback, Google found that the most crowded transit line in the world is the Urquiza line in Buenos Aires. It was followed by Line 11 (Coral) in São Paulo, Buenos Aires’s Line A, São Paulo’s Line 8 (Diamante) and Paris’s Line 13. New York’s L Train – the only US transit line to make it into the top 10 – came in tenth.
The feature will be available in 200 locations worldwide. . Image: Image Source RF/Dre amPictures
As part of updates to Maps services, Google is also launching live traffic delays for buses in places where real-time information isn’t supplied directly from local transit agencies. Passengers will even be able to pinpoint exactly where the delays are on the map so they know what to expect before heading off on their journey.
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