Google Maps is rolling out new AI-powered features to help drivers easily navigate flyovers and narrow roads in India, the world's most populous country that has huge, obstructed roads and multiple flyovers to tackle traffic congestion.
Google said on Thursday it has built an AI model specifically for Indian roads that uses satellite imagery and Street View data to estimate road widths, and also takes into account factors like road type, distance between buildings, trees, utility poles and drains to help lidar avoid narrow roads.
Navigation Features
Google Maps will show routes that avoid narrow roads when users select four-wheel mode while navigating. However, Google also said that the update will help bikers in two-wheel mode and pedestrians in walking mode navigate India's narrow roads safely.
Sometimes you may need to navigate through narrow roads, for example if your destination is on a narrow road, for this reason, Google Maps has added a callout to navigation that warns you about narrow sections ahead.
Image credit: Google
Google said the narrow roads feature will be rolling out to Android devices in eight cities initially, with the feature set to debut on iOS soon.
In addition to avoiding narrow roads, Google Maps has also integrated overpass callouts within its navigation experience, allowing users to see upcoming overpasses along their route and decide whether to traverse them in advance.
Previously, Google Maps would tell drivers to “take the ramp” when getting on or off an overpass, a term that is not commonly used in India.[Road name] A clear instruction such as “On the road” can be confusing as drivers may not know the name of the road or it may not be prominently displayed. In this case, a clear instruction such as “Take the overpass” would be more appropriate.
Flyover callouts will be rolled out across 40 cities across India on Android devices and Android Auto four- and two-wheeler navigation. The feature will also be available on Apple's CarPlay soon, Google said.
Image credit: Google
Additionally, Google Maps has added EV charging stations in India, more than five years after it was first rolled out in the US in 2018. Google has partnered with EV charging providers and aggregators such as ElectricPe, Ather Energy, Kazam and Statiq to surface information of over 8,000 charging stations on Google Maps in India.
Users can search for charging stations on Google Maps and see information about available stations, including the types of plugs they support.
It is noteworthy that as electric two-wheelers dominate the Indian EV market, this is the first time that two-wheeler EV charging stations will be displayed on Google Maps as the global rollout was focused on four-wheelers.
public transport
Google announced a partnership with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an open source network foundation in India, and Namma Yatri, a Google-backed ride-hailing app that provides end-to-end booking for local trains, auto-rickshaws, and metro rides.
This week, the company will roll out a feature through its Namma Yatri integration that will enable users to book coach and Chennai metro tickets directly within the Google Maps interface. Users will receive their tickets in the form of a QR code after payment. Google added that it plans to add more cities and modes of transport in the future.
Image credit: Google
Notably, Google Maps was used to display Uber and Ola taxi fares when users entered their destination. However, this feature was eventually discontinued. The company said that its partnerships with Namma Yatri and ONDC were deeper integrations and that the feature will continue to exist.
Google also added that “Where is my train?”, an Indian train-tracking app that it acquired in 2018, has more than 100 million monthly active users.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out lists of curated places in select cities in the US and Canada. The company is now bringing the feature to India in partnership with Magicpin and NDTV Food. Starting this week, users can see these lists in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur. These lists will surface on Google Maps when users search for keywords like “best ocean view cafes in Goa” and “top breakfast spots in Mumbai.”
The company also said it has updated its interface to make it easier for users to report incidents such as collisions, speeding, construction, lane closures, stranded vehicles and objects on the road through tappable icons on Android, iOS, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.