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Google Transit is a web service that helps users reach their destination by providing an easy-to-follow route. This article is about Google transit benefits.
Google has a spectrum of high-utility web services, few of which have gradually become a necessity for a large majority of population on web. Services like Google search, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube are certainly the most utilized web services among the array of web services run by Google.
There are plenty of other Google services which are a great utility but are still to gain mass attention by end users. One such web service is Google Transit.
Google Transit is a web service that helps users reach their destination by providing an easy-to-follow routes and direction information using available public transport. As public transport is usually the ‘most utilized’ transportation service in any city/state by general public, Google Transit proves very useful as it gives detailed information about the transit stops, station information, schedules, journey duration(estimated) and even fare information.
As precise route and schedule information is usually controlled by the Public transport authorities, Google urges the local transport authorities of cities in various countries across the globe to provide Google with the relevant information so that the information may be integrated in Google Transit service and made publicly available for more convenience to the users of those public transport services.
So far, more than 405 cities across the globe have some or all of their public transport services integrated in Google Transit service. 50 of these covered cities are even supported with a latest feature addition called Transit layer in Google Maps. Transit layer lets you virtually superimpose the Public transportation map over the normal map of your city. This will prove helpful mainly for those who’ve the option of travelling through personal conveyance(say ‘car’) and want to check if there’s a cheaper , faster and convenient way to drive to their destination via available public transport.
With Google Transit, both ‘Public transport authorities’ and ‘end commuters’ get the benefit as it promotes Public transport usage and eases off the daily commutation hassles for end commuters.
How to access Google Transit
- Go to Google Maps,
- Click on ‘Get Directions‘ tab on the left side on the map page
- Enter the ‘source‘ and ‘destination‘ fields according to your requirements
- In the menu option below, select ‘By Public transit‘ and press ‘Enter’ key
In case, your city is not one of those 405 cities where Google Transit service is currently available, you will be notified about the service unavailability
Ways to access Google Transit
- Through your Web browser
- Through Mobile Phone
As Google Transit helps you plan your trip using public transport, its will prove much useful and suitable to be accessed via mobile phone. As its not feasible to carry your PC/laptop everywhere and start using it while on the go, its great to utilize Google Transit via Mobile Phone.
Although ‘Google Transit’ is so well integrated within Google Maps that it actually appears to be one of the many features that Google Maps provides but the utility that Google Transit serves is really appreciable.
