Google Maps will now help delhiites with estimated auto fares on desired routes

Commuters in the national capital can now view “auto-rickshaw” routes as well as fares on Google Maps app, tech giant Google Monday said.

“Starting today, commuters in Delhi will be able to see a new public transport mode in Google Maps — auto-rickshaws. By selecting this mode of transport, commuters will be able to view suggested routes for the ride as well as the estimated auto-rickshaw fares,” Google said in a statement.

The new feature will reflect fares based on the official fare model shared by the Delhi Traffic Police, it said.

This feature will be available in the Google Maps app on the Android devices.

The idea is to incorporate one of most commonly used modes of public transport in Google Maps and share transparent information about the price of journey, Google Maps Product Manager Vishal Dutta said.

“Currently, for an unfamiliar journey, commuters often overpay and don’t have an idea about the distance or best route,” he added.Dutta said the feature will also help the users plan their journey better.

“…so they could look at the expected cost of the auto-rickshaw ride and decide whether they want to take it all the way, or perhaps take a different mode of transport instead — like a bus or the metro,” he explained.

Google Maps provides globally over a billion kilometres worth of transit results every day and has schedules for over three million public transit stops worldwide, the statement said.

Meanwhile, you can now use your favourite hashtag when reviewing a place on the Google Maps.

Google has introduced a new feature to Maps that will make business reviews more engaging and useful. One can add up to five hashtags in their posts which Google suggests should be placed at the end of the review, Engadget reported.

It is also suggested that specific hashtags such be used such as #sunsetviews and #wheelchairaccessible instead of generic terms.