Public transport information from Google Maps

The latest version of Google Maps for Android now has public transport information. Although only 400 cities are currently included (none in Ireland, unfortunately), it seems certain more will be added in time.

Chris Van Der Westhuizen, a Goodle software engineer, said:

“Transit Navigation uses GPS to determine your current location along your route and alerts you when it’s time to get off or make a transfer. This is particularly helpful if you’re in a city where you don’t speak the language and can’t read the route maps or understand the announcements.”

Many of the cities and areas covered are in the US, but major European holiday destinations such as Vienna, Paris, Munich and Barcelona are also in there, which could prove helpful for tourists.

Notifications appear on screen when you need to stop or transfer and there is a vibrate setting as well. However, the service is still in beta testing, meaning there may still be a few issues, which might not be too great if you’re rushing to catch a plane or something.

A similar service was launched by Nokia to cover New York a couple of months ago and it too has plans for expansion.