Google Maps to send coronavirus alerts to your phone to help avoid overcrowding on public transport

The feature will alert people if services are suspended due to the pandemic 
henry perks / Unsplash
Amelia Heathman10 June 2020

The UK may be easing out of the lockdown, with non-essential shops opening next week and pub trips almost back on the menu. But people are still going to be anxious about going back to old habits, such as taking public transport, for a while.

A new feature on Google’s Maps platform aims to help people avoid overcrowding on public transport as a result of the pandemic.

The platform will send alerts featuring the latest public transport information whenever a trip is likely to be affected by Covid-19 restrictions, along with mandatory precautions from official local data. The alerts will include warnings if public transport services are suspended due to the pandemic.

In addition, in the same way that Google Maps tells you how busy a restaurant or shop is at a certain time, when you search a station you will see the departure board and busyness of the station. This comes from data aggregated from anonymised users who have opted in to Google’s Location History feature.

The new feature is rolling out across the world, including the UK, US, India and France.

Once the pandemic hit and lockdown was announced in the UK, social distancing rules were introduced on the Transport for London network, meaning tubes and buses were only about to take around 13 to 15 per cent of passengers compared to pre-Covid levels. Since the lockdown has been eased, tube journeys were up by 18.5 per cent in the capital.

Next week, all passengers on public transport have been ordered to wear face coverings. Commuters who refuse to do so could be fined or refused permission to board busies and trains. Face masks don’t protect the wearer from developing Covid-19 symptoms, however, they may protect others if people are infected but have not developed symptoms.

In a bid to prevent people from travelling by public transport in London, TfL said it is going to buy an extra 1,700 Santander Cycles, increasing the total number of the city’s bike hire fleet to 14,000. The organisation said demand for bikes is at record levels.

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