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Moving to Lagos, the nerve center of the Nigerian economy and Africa's largest mega-city, can be painful no matter what mode of transport is used, as problems run from traffic jams to poorly maintained road infrastructure and public transport.
However, at its third annual edition of Google For Nigeria (flagship program of unveiling new products and upgrades, launched in 2017 with the visit of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the global giant announced the upgrade of its mapping service in Nigeria, to facilitate navigation.
The service now has a new interface "informal directions" dedicated to travel by public transport bus, known locally as the danfo. For example, a resident traveling from Ikeja, on the mainland of Lagos, to the main business district of Victoria Island using public transport will follow the following directions: Danfos board according to routes and bus stops to go down depending on the specific destination and traffic congestion data in real time. The interface will also include danfo estimates of rates and activity levels at local bus stops.
The service was born out of the need to "rethink the operation of maps and maps" rather than "reuse what works elsewhere" in Lagos, given the heavy reliance on informal routes, itineraries and routes. public transport, said Ramesh Nagarajan, the product of Google Maps. management director. This service, a world first, will be tested first with Google local guides in Lagos, then fully deployed to the public, because Google aims to "support the different modes of movement of people."
In addition, after its first launch in Kenya, Google is also adding a new navigation mode for motorcycles in Nigeria. The mode was developed by badyzing the travel time of motorcyclists badociated with real-time data on traffic conditions and using machine learning to create models that reflect the speed at which motorcycles travel and provide schedules. precise arrival.
Commercial motorcycles, locally called okadas, that help people move faster, the meanders between cars trapped in traffic jams, have become a vital part of Lagos' transportation infrastructure, despite lingering fears of the Lagos state government.
The mode of navigation is much more likely to be adopted by riders with budding motorcycle companies that have become widespread in Lagos during the past year compared to the majority of independents. okada runners, especially since most of them are uneducated and much less tech-savvy. Its application is also promising for motorcycle delivery and potentially has an impact on the last mile logistics challenge for e-commerce businesses. In parallel with Nigeria, the mode of navigation should also be launched in Ghana, Rwanda, Benin, Togo and Uganda.
After debuting in Lagos, Google will also launch Street View, a tool that allows users to view panoramic street images in four additional Nigerian cities: Abuja, Benin, Enugu and Ibadan.
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