People contribute on Google map according to their interest. Some love to share best restaurants while some share more about beautiful places. Every contribution is equally worthy as it benefits others to discover more. Being a local guide of level seven, I try to contribute as much as I can in almost every field given in the app, but my top most favorite is providing detailed reviews be it in the form of pictures, videos or words. I have my own reason why I love to do so.
My city “Karachi” is the sixth most populous city in the world with an area of about 3780 sq.km. Metropolitan usually have traffic problems, but being the largest city of a developing country, Karachi City has its own set of problems. For instance, Karachi might be the only metropolitan with no proper Public transportation system. As an alternative, travelers use every mean of transportation they could. Everyday more bikes, motor rickshaws and private cars come to already jam packed narrow roads and chaos created by traffic jamming gets multiple. Broken roads, poor sewerage system, side by encroachments, under construction roads, flyovers and underpasses, Cordon offs due to protests, rallies, VIP Movements and frequent violation of traffic laws by the bikers are some common problems which are faced by 15 million people on daily basis. These are the reasons that Even Google map sometimes couldn’t be of much help. Another problem with Google Map in Pakistan is that sometimes people who are not expert user of Google Map Application, mark wrong locations which adversely affect other users and so one has to rely on the conventional information system of Karachi.
What do I mean by conventional information system of Karachi?
Karachi has a unique system of information regarding addresses and transportation. Karachiites exchange the information within themselves. For instance if a student needs to get his documents verified from ministry of education, he will find a person in his surrounding who has already gone through the process and ask him the address and due procedure. That fellow may be from his friends, family or even from his neighborhood. Similarly if a person needs to visit someone’s place, he just asks about the nearest famous place of that area where he needs to go. Once he arrives there he may ask the native people present on the street for further assistance or call the concerned person to ask him either to pick him up from that landmark, or guide the way from there on call only. This is the conventional way Karachiites are using since beginning instead of following formal address. They are less likely to follow proper address, as usually roads and streets are not marked in Karachi, sad indeed but true.
Once a person reaches his destiny, after facing such hurdles and traffic jam (which you will find after every couple of minutes if it’s a weekend eve or rush hours) yet couldn’t get his work done due to any petty issue, the feeling is inexpressible in words. People of Karachi are well aware of it, especially when they are dealing with any government office (as government officers usually put objections on petty issues declaring it a legal obligation, usually just to make some money as they know traveling back home and bring something is hard to do).
These are the reasons why I love writing detailed reviews or providing maximum details about important places, specially the government departments, in my short video clips. While giving reviews I always try to use Pakistan’s National language “Urdu” as a medium of information, so that my message clearly reaches to the maximum number of people and they would have a clear idea about the rout, hurdles on the way, shortest way to get there, timings and what necessary stuff they must keep with them so that they may get maximum benefit of Google Map. This is how I am putting my small share to make Google Map more compatible with the needs and behavior of Karachiites.