Google Maps to alert users about COVID-related travel restrictions

Tech giant Google is adding features on its Maps service to alert users about COVID-19-related travel restrictions. This is to help them plan their trips better.

The update will allow users to check how crowded a train station might be at a particular time, or if buses on a certain route are running on a limited schedule. The transit alerts will be launched in Argentina, France, India, Netherlands, the United States and United Kingdom among other countries.

The new features would also include details on COVID-19 checkpoints and restrictions on crossing national borders, starting with Canada, Mexico and the United States. In a blog post, the company said:

Having this information before and during your trip is critical for both essential workers who need to safely navigate to work and will become more important for everyone as countries around the world begin to reopen. In our latest release of Google Maps on Android and iOS, we’re introducing features to help you easily find important information if you need to venture out, whether it’s by car or public transportation. – Ramesh Nagarajan, Product Management Director, Google Maps

Over the last few months, Google has analysed location data from billions of Google users’ phones in 131 countries to examine mobility under lockdowns and help health authorities assess if people were following social-distancing and other orders issued to control the virus.

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