We speak again of Google Maps, since this application is now becoming more essential than ever thanks to the features that it has been integrating during these months to help us direct us to the so-called new normal.
In this sense, Google Maps for Android and iOS is now gaining new features that can basically be summarized in a series of alerts for those who are planning to go to a place, and information that allows to prevent travel in public transport in the event that there is no possibility of guaranteeing social distancing due to high demand.
Various alerts on the chosen routes
As far as alerts are concerned, Google Maps now offer alerts about the restrictions that the planned trips in public transport (bus and train) may suffer as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, either due to the alteration in the schedules exit of the same or the obligation to use masks inside.
These alerts are initially reaching Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition, Google Maps will also warn of mobility restrictions and existing checkpoints along the selected routes, taking as an example the crossing of national borders, starting in Canada, Mexico and the United States), which will be accompanied of the corresponding indications.
When going to medical facilities or points where to perform tests on Covid-19, Maps will offer an alert in the form of a reminder for users to verify eligibility, and avoid unnecessary trips, and the indications of these centers.
Alerts for medical facilities are coming to Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, South Korea, and the US, while alerts for testing centers are coming to the United States.
Google points out that all these alerts will work according to the official information offered directly through different organizations or obtained on their websites, and shows its willingness to work with other interested organizations.
To choose the best time to travel by public transport
Regarding the use of public transport safely, avoiding those moments of high demand in them, Google Maps has simplified the way in which users can make their contributions to predictions of overcrowding on transport lines in the one they travel.
In addition, they expand globally the trends on temperature, accessibility and safety, and even on the availability of specific sections for women, where they also work with the data provided by the users themselves.
As of today, Google Maps will also offer information about when a station or stop is more or less busy when planning a trip, although it will also offer live information of the current occupancy level and compare with the usual occupancy level.
Google points out that these capabilities are based on aggregated and anonymous data from users who have enabled Google Location History, remembering that it is a Google account-level setting that is disabled by default.
