Google Transit now in Chennai, Hyderabad

BANGALORE, INDIA: Google Transit has extended its services to cover Chennai and Hyderabad, after its launch in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

The service to enable commuters get directions and location details was launched first in Bangalore with the information on bus routes. Ahmedabad and Pune were added soon after the Bangalore launch. It already provides route details of both bus and local train networks in Delhi and Mumbai.

While Google Transit's Chennai service will have bus and local train routes, Hyderabad will have its bus routes covered.

“This launch will help millions of commuters and visitors in these metro cities to explore public transportation options as they search for directions or locations, and encourage alternatives to driving,” Kapil Goswami, Business Development, has written on Google India's official blog.

This information is available both on Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile, enabling users to access the service even on the move, the Google blog entry added.

In order to avail the service, users can enter the name of their starting point and destination and choose their preference of service — by car or public transit. The service, which employs Google Maps, has bus, subway, train, tram and light tram listed under the public transit option and one can even select among best route, fewer transfers and less walking to get directions appropriately.

Apart from directions, Google Transit also gives the approximate travel time, though with a disclaimer, “These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. You must obey all signs or notices regarding your route.”