Google has updated its mapping service in India, with two new features to boost navigation and traffic updates. The service now includes ‘turn-by-turn’ voice navigation through Google Maps Navigation (Beta). Google maps also now features live traffic information for major roads in select cities – Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad.
These features will be accessible for free on desktops as well as Android smartphones running version 2.2 or later.
The live traffic conditions can be checked by enabling the ‘Traffic’ layer on the desktop as well as on the mobile version.
Traffic density on the roads will be represented by different colours for ease – red for significant congestion, yellow for minor slow-downs and green for free-flowing traffic.
Google Maps Navigation also takes traffic data into account when calculating directions for navigation, so users will automatically be routed around areas of major congestion if a faster alternative route is available nearby.