Google Maps now supports crowd predictions to make your daily commute less of a squeeze

Google Maps has been updated to support crowd prediction (Google actually terms it as 'crowdedness predictions') as well as 'live traffic delays'.

These new features will be rolled out to over 200 cities worldwide and users will have to update Google Maps on their supported devices to enjoy the new enhancements.

The inverted commas for 'live traffic delays' is to denote Google's new predictive machine learning based model to solve the disjoint in transit schedules that don't take into effect real-time traffic conditions or in places where real-time transit information isn't supplied from transit agencies.

For now, only residents in about 18 cities will get the updated Google Maps app. Singapore is one of the cities; to enjoy the new features, just update your device's Google Maps app.

In Singapore, we already have bus arrival information, the type of buses, and passenger load information from MyTransport.sg mobile app. As for passenger load information pertaining to trains, there's the PLIS that's on trial along the Downtown Line (DTL) since May 2018. Therefore, the crowd prediction on the new Google Maps may help us better plan our train journeys during rush hours.

Do head over to Google's site and uncover some interesting public transit factoids of our sunny shores, i.e., which are the most crowded bus stops and most crowded bus route.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.