There's good news for public transport commuters in Chennai and Hyderabad - they can now use Google Maps' transit feature for figuring out their bus routes. The facility is available on Google's online and mobile versions of Google Maps. Of late Google has been expanding its public transportation information service for the Indian cities and it is likely that more cities will get displayed on the transit section.
The commuters can also use the transit feature to plan a trip in their city using the public transport. To begin, the users need to go to maps.google.com and search for directions for the destination. The maps will then display route and driving directions for that destination point. The users, however, will get two options – one displaying route/directions for private vehicles, the second one showing routes for public transport such as local rail and bus.
The information displayed under the section called “public transport” is the new updated feature. Under this section, information such as bus route numbers and estimate time for the journey is displayed. It also suggests points from where one can board the bus/train.
Google says on its blog, "The launch of the local bus information service in Chennai and Hyderabad will not just help millions of commuters and visitors in the metros to explore public transportation options as they search for directions or locations, but also encourage alternatives to driving. This information is available both on Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile, enabling users to access the service even while on the move."
The public transit service is presently available for cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The Internet company has entered a deal with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), for public transport information; while in Mumbai, it displays BEST bus routes and local trains. For Ahmedabad, Google has partnered with Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Services (AMTS).
Google provides public transport information for more than 447 cities across the world.
