New Google Maps Traffic tab and danfo routes in Lagos, Nigeria

[Miss_Mo]

Good job! This would be really helpful to Nigerians. 

However, I already tried out the app and there are some mistakes/misdirections. For example, going from the university of Lagos to Ile iwe bus stop Ikotun, one can get a tricycle going to mushin from the university of Lagos and then take a bus going to ikotun from Mushin and highlight at Ile iwe. But the map directs me to get to yaba first, then take mushin, then isolo etc The directions are not straight forward. Is there any way we can edit? 

[albertsonj]

Thanks for the encouragement, @Mayford - and for being a part of our Local Guides workshop in March to give us valuable, local feedback on its earliest versions!

[albertsonj]

Thank you, @CharlesOloyede! To answer your questions:

• We started thinking about this feature (and doing research in Lagos to support it) in the first half of 2018, but our engineering effort started in earnest just earlier this year.
• Our decision to do this was informed mainly by what we heard from the community in Lagos, when we began to ask questions about how Google Maps was or wasn't helping them get around the city.
• As for analytics, we did notice that transit features in Maps weren't being used as much in Lagos as in other big cities around the world, where we already had complete coverage of all the modes of transport. We wanted to bring about a big improvement for Nigeria's (and Africa's) largest metropolitan area.

[albertsonj]

Hi @iamdarola -

We would love to have the help of Local Guides in Lagos to make this feature better, and help us identify things we may have missed. Please feel free to leave feedback as a comment on this Connect post, or use the Send Feedback link in the Android version of Google Maps. To access this, tap the menu at the upper-left in the home screen, then tap Send Feedback, and use the "Your opinions about Maps" category to send us your thoughts. We'll be monitoring both places.

- Jeff

[tunjijedidiah]

Great innovation by the Google team. I hope this will extend to other major cities in Nigeria. Keep up the good work!

[rebirthtobi]

Hi @albertsonj , thanks for this feature, i was recently in US and this feature on google map help alot. I was able to see when the next bus will be available and the current location of the current one i am in, however i don't seems to find the feature of tracking BRT buses in this one for Lagos. Should we expect this and if yes what is the ETA for this?

[albertsonj]

Hi @rebirthtobi - Thanks, and this is a great question. In the places where we show real-time bus positions and arrival times in Google Maps, we are relying on the local transport operator to provide that information to us (it usually requires them to install specialized equipment on their buses). BRT buses in Lagos don't have this capability quite yet, but we're hopeful it may come along soon, because we agree, it's super-useful to have!

[MrBest]

This is awesome!. A great feat for Lagosians suffering constant congestion. @albertsonj, i am happy to hear that you reached agreement with BRT operators on installing a regulatory device. If they will install it, it will help in ways like updating prices and movements. BRT prices are relatively steady, but that of Danfo and KEKE depends heavily on demand at a particular time. For example, from Cele bus stop to Agor palace-way in the morning is #50 on keke but from Agor to Cele in the morning is #100. In the evening it will go the other way opposite . this is because in the morning more people are going out for work and business but return in the evening. I think with time, this great progress with get much better with user feedbacks.
Well done and thank you so much @albertsonj , @laurenmae @andregoog  and all the google map product team

[pwanaduku]

Highly commendable! I received a mail about this and will surely be trying the new version soon. 

Kudos @albertsonj and the rest of the team.

[AustinCO]

Great job @albertsonj 

This is a nice feature and I find it really helpful especially for newcomers to Lasgidi.

I noticed that when routing a commuter to enter Danfo, it does not give a variety of Danfo to enter.

Someone going from CMS to Four Point by Sheraton should have options of taking Ajah bus or Lekki bus and not just Ajah bus (as is suggested by the app), this saves the commuter some fare and time waiting for a bus to get filled.

Great job to you and your team.