These features, that is accessible via Android smartphones running version 2.2 or later and tablets for free, would allow travelers, whether they are driving or walking, to get directions to a place through turn-by-turn voice instructions.
The live traffic status can also be checked by activating the “Traffic” layer on the desktop as well as on the mobile version. Users accessing Maps via desktop will also be able to see traffic information in select Indian cities.
As a matter of fact, navigation app was always a feature of Android phones in India, though the service was not supported officially. It used to display just the route and lacked support for voice instructions.
While the basic driving directions have been available in Maps for a long time now, but the latest feature adds navigation features typically available in “pro” apps or GPS units. Currently, the Navigation feature is in beta and Google tells users to exercise caution while using it.
With this release, users can now simply type or speak their destination address and voice-activated directions will guide you to your destination. In case of any divergence by a user in the middle of the way, the app automatically reroutes the coordinates. There are various options. Users can select whether they want walking instructions or driving directions. They can add or remove layers to change view from basic to the one that is more detailed. They can also save routes.
India is the latest addition to the list of countries where Google offers these features. With live-traffic information, Google will provide a colour-coded overlay of traffic information on Google Maps in six cities across the country: Bangalore, New Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Besides, roads for which enough traffic information is available will be tagged green for free flowing traffic, yellow for minor slowdowns, and red for significant congestion. The data for traffic is crowd-sourced from Android mobile users which transmits their current location at regular intervals. The data is anonymized to protect the identity of the phone user and the feature is an opt-in service, said Darren Baker, product manager for Google Maps.
On the other hand, navigation, that employs GPS chips in a device, is one of the most popular features among smartphone and tablet users across the world. In India, however, only Nokia provides this service on its high-end phones for free. TomTom and MapMyIndia were among other companies that offers the navigation service through paid apps.
The search engine giant said that it will also explore gathering data from other sources to improve the service, said Baker. In some cities, like Bangalore, a dedicated Traffic Management Centre (TMC) monitors traffic on major roads and crucial junctions. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M. A. Saleem said that the TMC has nearly five enforcement cameras and 160 surveillance cameras across the city. “We are open to providing this data to anyone who needs it”, he said.
On top of seamless accessibility, users running Android 2.2 or later can access Google Maps Navigation and traffic information by downloading the Google Maps app from the Google Play store, if it is not pre-installed. the The traffic information is also available via the Google Maps website and the Google Maps iOS app (see screenshots below).
Navigation and traffic information of course make the Google Now service infinitely more useful, and almost at par with the international users in terms of the functionality it offers. Apart from the importance of navigation and map related features, Google is quietly bolstering its offerings in India. Along with the navigation, it also offers basic map services and Local, which is a kind of dynamic directory of notable places around a user.
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