Commuting to work and getting back to routine in a post-coronavirus world might sound scary to some. To smoothen the transition, Google Maps is working to add a couple of neat features.
As spotted by app reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong, Maps will offer more route options to connect with public transit. This would essentially cover the “first mile” or the initial transit that connects people to their preferred mode of transport.
Going by the tweet, the company will add five options – car, bicycle, motorcycle, auto-rickshaw, and ride-hailing services. With such diverse options, this feature could give commuters more accurate and in-depth information to plan their travel.
The company is also apparently making changes to let users see more accurate fares from Uber. Google Maps aims to achieve this by sending your route to Uber so that you can see the exact cost without having to open the dedicated app. Although there are no signs just yet, we expect the company to make similar integrations with other leading ride-hailing giants (such as Ola in India) as well.
Apart from functional improvements, the company is working to improve the search bar’s design. The redesign will include fully rounded corners and the new Maps logo that got introduced as part of Google Maps’ 15th anniversary. Below is a quick comparison between the upcoming design and the current one.
The availability of these features remains uncertain. However, we can expect Google to roll out these features sooner rather than later, considering the improvements in terms of usability. Since these are minor changes, Maps may gain these functionalities over the coming weeks.
