Apple Maps now offers bike-sharing data in 179 cities in 35 countries worldwide.
All users need to do is type “bike sharing” in to the Apple Maps search bar to see the nearest bike sharing depot to their current vicinity.
The expansion of the project includes seven locations in the United Kingdom and 24 in the United States.
In the UK, Apple Maps will guide you to locations in Bath, Belfast, Glasgow, London, Milton Keynes, Stirling and the University of Warwick.
The company has partnered with Ito World (a data company specialising in global transportation challenges) to integrate the data into Apple Maps.
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Overall the new bike-sharing network sitting within Apple Maps make it easier for travellers to access more than 12,810 point of interest.
Given the growing popularity of bike sharing services as a means of getting around cities both new and familiar, this is sure to be appreciated by Apple Maps users.
However, given the limited number of cities currently available, it’s going to be far from a universal solution.
It’s likely that Apple will continue working with Ito World to add more locations as time goes on.
Also, as TechCrunch reports, the new feature doesn’t actually tell you whether there are any bikes available. This would require tight integration with the bike-sharing services themselves.
There are multiple apps that do provide more comprehensive station and availability data (usually from the providers themselves), but its always handy to have the information within an existing Maps app. Google Maps already includes bike-sharing data, so this helps to bring Apple in line.
Apple Maps has improved significantly in recent years after a disastrous launch in iOS 6. In most cases the firm can now compete well with Google Maps.
Do you use bike-sharing services to get around new cities? Drop us a line with your favourite services @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
