Google Maps to show real-time info on Delhi's cluster bus service.
Google on Wednesday added real-time information about bus arrival times for Delhi on Google Maps, making it easier for people to plan their trips. The information will inform users which bus to catch, the time it will arrive at a designated bus stop, the duration of the trip, and if there is a delay.
Further, Google Transit will automatically update the arrival times and will mark them in green or red on Google Maps. The tech giant teamed up with the Delhi Transport Ministry, the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi, and Lepton Software to develop the feature.
"With today's partnership with Google Maps, Delhi joins the league of global cities that seamlessly provides real time information of public transport so that people are able to plan their journeys to the minute. I hope this collaboration will encourage several other transit apps to tap into the open data portal of the Transport Department and create innovative solutions to make Delhi's public transport system the default choice for everyone," Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, in a statement.
"We're glad to work with the Delhi Transport Ministry in launching real-time transit information for Delhi's cluster bus service on Google Maps. We are constantly exploring ways to make the Google Maps experience more useful, and we hope the people of Delhi will benefit from having access to this information in making smart commuting choices, especially in these times," Google's Director, Product Management, Ramesh Nagarajan said.
To access the real-time information, users need to open Google Maps app on their Android or iOS device, enter the destination, and tap the 'Go' icon or tap the 'Go' icon and enter the 'Source' and 'Destination' locations.
If it is not already selected, tap the "transit" icon (the little tram) to view times, bus numbers, routes and real-time arrival information highlighted in green or red. Tapping a recommended route will show more information on the route's stops, while tapping the bus stop shows a list of all arriving buses, where relevant real-time info is depicted by the green or red beacon.
It is also possible to access real-time bus information by searching for a particular bus stop, tapping its name and its listed bus numbers. The feature is also available in Hindi.
