Now, commuters in Kolkata can get real-time bus information in Google Maps. Google has teamed up with the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), to add real-time information about bus arrival times for Kolkata on Google Maps, making it easier for people to plan their trips. This service is currently enabled for key WBTC transit routes, and is scheduled to be expanded to the remaining routes in the future. This is the first launch of real-time transit information for Google Maps in India. Public transport can sometimes be erratic, and having access to information that lets you better plan your departure can be a big boon in helping ease the stress of commuting.
So the next time you’re planning a trip between Park Street and Bhowanipore, you can simply type the two locations into Google Maps to get information about which bus to catch and – more importantly – you’ll see when the next bus is actually arriving at your stop. You’ll also get an estimation of how long your trip is going to take, and if your bus is delayed Google Transit will automatically update the times in line with the new conditions. Arrival times based on real-time information available are marked in green on Google Maps.
“By sharing the real-time transit information of our buses with Google Maps, we are striving to deliver an enhanced level of service for our commuters. We are confident that the practical use of this technology will facilitate better trip planning resulting in greater convenience to commuters. We expect this to help increase the footfall in our buses and improve revenue realisation,” said Mr. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, IAS, Managing Director, WBTC.
“This is yet another attempt to bring smart public transport to Kolkata and to improve the performance of WBTC. We are committed to improve public transport.” said Sri Subhendu Adhikari, Minister In Charge Transport Department, Government of West Bengal.
Alternatively, it is possible to access real-time bus information by searching for a particular bus stop, tapping its name and its listed bus numbers. You will then see a listing of all buses arriving, with the location-enabled buses displaying their real-time ETA from the stop.
