Bus travel information in Sydney has become more accessible with a new Google Maps feature
July 26, 2012
Bus
travel information in Sydney has become more accessible with a Google Maps feature that provides public transport options to destinations.
Google Maps, which has traditionally given users driving, walking
and cycling travel options, will now also provide a summary of public transport options as part of
a new feature announced yesterday.
Sydney University transport and logistics network modelling chair Professor Michiel Bliemer says the public transport information, already available on various websites,
will be centralised and more easily accessed on Google Maps.
“The information of course is already downloadable from websites anyway, but the new thing is that everything will be in the same format, so basically all operators through the whole world will have it in Google format so you can
more easily plan transport everywhere,” Bliemer says.
Bliemer says the next step in Sydney should be to add more dynamic elements to Google Maps database to allow public transport users to see if a bus is running late or on time.
“I think in the future they need real-time traffic, like they do for cars,” Bliemer says.
“When real-time traffic information becomes available in the same way then that will be a real plus.”
In a statement yesterday, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says public transport on Google Maps is an ongoing project and future updates could include real-time updates.
She says she hopes the rich public transport data, modified into a new format, will inspire future third party application developers.
“Of course, the government is happy to talk to any developer who wants to use the data to help customers, and ultimately increase patronage of public transport,” Berejiklian says.
Meanwhile, she says the new addition to Google Maps is hoped to make public transport use more attractive.
“We see this as an opportunity to attract new customers – with Google in NSW receiving almost 1 million location searches every day, we expect the tool to encourage people who don’t normally use public transport to give it a try,” Berejiklian says.
Google Australia engineering director Alan Noble says the addition of public transport would benefit locals and tourists exploring greater metropolitan Sydney.
“We’re excited to welcome Australia’s largest public transport agency to Google Maps,” Noble says.
“This is an important addition to Google Maps as our goal is to give people as much information as possible on how to get to their destination.”
Sydney now joins global cities including London, New York and Hong Kong that also have public transport on Google Maps.