Google Maps is great at telling you how long it’ll be until your next train arrives, but currently offers no insight as to whether you’ll actually be able to comfortably fit on to it.
Now the company is seemingly looking to rectify that with a little Waze-like crowdsourcing magic. Those who use the public transport routing feature are seeing notifications from Google asking them how crowed their train is.
Android Police brings word from a tipster in Sweden who has spied the notifications on their Android device, while the company has also been testing the feature in a number of major cities (San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., Tokyo and Paris at last count) on iPhone.
The survey asks users to rate the space available on their trip, from there being many seats available, to just a few. They’re also being asked whether it’s standing room only, or crushed.
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If the company offers the feature to more users, it will eventually enable Google to build up a picture of how busy that particular train is on any given day, which could help users determine whether to shoot for that particular mode of transport or leave earlier for a more comfortable commute.
Image credit: Android Police
The company currently offers similar indicators for restaurants and attractions, stating how busy they tend to be at certain times of the day. Those are determined algorithmically through a number of data points.
There’s no word yet on whether the company plans to bring the feature to the main app in the near future, but this might be something we hear more about at the Google I/O keynote on May 7, where the company will show us Android Q and the Pixel 3a range of smartphones.
Would a busy train alert assist you with your morning commute? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
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.
