New Delhi: Google Maps is rolling out new features in select regions, including India, in a bid to make it easier for Android and iOS users to plan long-distance drives and help them save money on tolls. With the new feature, Google Maps will now show estimated toll prices for select routes once the user enters a route to navigate.
Users will start seeing toll prices on Android and iOS this month for nearly 2,000 toll roads in India, the US, Japan and Indonesia and the feature will be rolled out to more countries soon. Google Maps is also upgrading the navigation experience by adding details such as stop signs, building outlines, traffic lights and areas of interest. Users in select cities will also be able to see the shape and width of the roads, including medians and islands.
"Long-distance drives, poor road conditions, and heavy traffic can dampen the mood of any road trip. In those moments, you might want to take a toll road. To help make the choice between toll roads and regular roads easier, we are rolling out toll prices on Google Maps for the first time," Rubén Lozano-Aguilera, Product Manager, Google Maps, said in a statement.
The new feature will let users view an estimated toll price to their destination before they start navigating on the platform, based on the information from local tolling authorities. However, users will also see an alternative route that avoids tolls, and to be able to use this feature, Google Maps users need to tap on the three-dot menu on the top right and select the option to avoid tolls.
"We look at factors like the cost of using a toll pass or other payment methods, what the day of the week it is, along with how much the toll is expected to cost at the specific time you will be crossing it," Lozano-Aguilera added.