Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Google on Thursday unveiled its latest transit crowdedness predictions feature in its Google Maps app. With this feature now you will be able to see how crowded your bus, train, or tube is likely to be before heading out on your commute. Google is now tapping into data from previous rides to predict how packed a bus, train or subway will be.

The rollout starts today with the feature being first available in 18 towns and cities in the UK: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton. Google is planning to roll out the predictions to almost 200 cities worldwide on Android as well as iOS.

Google said in a blog post, “the app will offer details on whether your bus will be late, how long you should expect to wait and more accurate predictions on travel times based on traffic conditions. Google Maps will also show you where the delays are, so you know what’s ahead. That way, you might be able to give people a better sense when you’re likely to arrive or figure out another route that avoids gridlock.”

The feature seems to be a culmination of a frequently asked question that has been cropping up for Google Maps users around the world over the past year. Indeed, reports surfaced from users in a number of cities globally, including New YorkTokyo, the Bay Area, and Paris, after Google Maps prompted users to answer a question after traveling on public transport, such as: “How crowded was the subway when you got on at Georgia Ave-Petworth Station?” followed by a bunch of options such as “many empty seats” or “cramped standing room.”

This isn’t the first time that Google will be using its massive Maps footprint to make predictions about crowds. The company already introduced similar features for predicting the size of the crowd at restaurants and other retail locations.

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