Giant tech platform, Google today officially launched a map feature for commercial buses in Lagos, Nigeria.
These commercial buses (Molue and Danfo) are in the category of the informal transport structure of the centre of excellence.
Recently in a Google event in the country, a “Nigerian voice” on the feature was unveiled for the maps where Google announced introducing a feature of an informal route to its Google Map
The feature is already live in the city of Lagos and can be found on the latest version of Google Maps for Android.
To access this feature, open the Google Map Icon on your Android phone, tap a bus icon labeled “traffic” below the map.
This feature would allow bus commuters to check estimated transport fares, easy and quick routes to their destinations, state of the traffic and the condition of the weather as well.
The feature also contains a 360-degree view of notable landmarks and bus stops. By zooming and rotation, users of the new Google feature can interact with it for easy navigation.
This recent development is not far-fetched from years of complaint from commuters in Lagos on the difficulty experienced in following through bus directions on Google Maps.
With the help of Road Preppers a Nigerian Artificial Intelligence startup and Google guides, the feature was designed by Google.
The startup employs machine learning and AI to provide users with directions on public transportation.
Jeff Albertson, Senior Product Manager at Google stated that the feature is only available for Android phones but mentioned that it will soon be available on other platforms.
Google also plans to roll out the feature to some other cities in the country like Ibadan, Abuja a few other cities in Africa.
Featured Image: Connectnigeria
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