Google Maps traffic layer now available in SA!

[adsl2]

There is info for pretoria as well.

 

[ChocolateBadger]

Kind of worrying that when using nav your movements are being tracked...

Relax, Google maps are bringing out offline mode where you can download the SA map and use it offline rather than streaming it. But you cant have traffic updates if your data connection is off.

 

[techead]

works on nav.

I dont understand this, what you mean nav?

 

[Park@82]

Uh, i don't see why thats odd?

Indeed, how else would one know if a route has live traffic updates...

 

[xrapidx]

I dont understand this, what you mean nav?

That Google Navigation on your phone takes into account traffic, and routes around it (still not sure if it works)

 

[bekdik]

Nice one G

 

[opinionhated]

Google Maps/Traffic is a bit odd. It shows all the traffic, not only where there is slow traffic. Sort of (useles) information overload.

TomTom & Waze only shows slow traffic.

Its a colour map. So it does so congestion.

 

[opinionhated]

When we combine your speed with the speed of other phones on the road, across thousands of phones moving around a city at any given time, we can get a pretty good picture of live traffic conditions. We continuously combine this data and send it back to you for free in the Google Maps traffic layers. It takes almost zero effort on your part — just turn on Google Maps for mobile before starting your car — and the more people that participate, the better the resulting traffic reports get for everybody.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/bright-side-of-sitting-in-traffic.html

 

[Elimentals]

awesome news. Only 2 traffic lights on that map, so must Joburg and CT for now

Well, to be honest we dont have traffic here in PE so it would be a joke, in fact here in PE there is so little traffic that if it showed up on Google Nav people would actually drive towards it to see what all the fuss is about

 

[Bern]

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/bright-side-of-sitting-in-traffic.html

Damn cyclists and pedestrians are going to ruin it!

 

[tco21]

Damn cyclists and pedestrians are going to ruin it!

Haha!

 

[Ockie]

Right...drove home with my Google Nav on...did not notice any difference?

 

[Elimentals]

Right...drove home with my Google Nav on...did not notice any difference?

Where you stuck in traffic or was it business as usual?

 

[Ockie]

Where you stuck in traffic or was it business as usual?

There were the slow spots for sure in the normal places on the N3 south towards Bedfordview...but nothing special. I just thought it would come up with a message saying "Slow traffic detected ahead" or something cute...but nothing happened. When I switched to Traffic view...it could see the yellow spot...but it did not seem to care. *sigh*

 

[Elimentals]

There were the slow spots for sure in the normal places on the N3 south towards Bedfordview...but nothing special. I just thought it would come up with a message saying "Slow traffic detected ahead" or something cute...but nothing happened. When I switched to Traffic view...it could see the yellow spot...but it did not seem to care. *sigh*

Good then the app worked

On a serious note, you need more people to use it for it to become useful. Give it some time.

 

[Ockie]

Good then the app worked

It did NOT!!! It must have a damn conversation with me about the traffic and what a ******* the guy on the bike was that just zoomed past dammit!!!!

PS: When we gonna get the option to change that womans voice to a mans voice.

 

[froot]

I think they only did Jozi and CT because there are the only places in SA with real traffic

The Cape Town peeps freak out when there's a 10-car queue at a robot.
In Pretoria/Jhb it's also known as midnight.

 

[Elimentals]

The Cape Town peeps freak out when there's a 10-car queue at a robot.
In Pretoria/Jhb it's also known as midnight.

In PE we will go what is everyone in the city doing at that traffic light?

 

[opinionhated]

The traffic widget is pretty sweet.

 

[Park@82]

The traffic widget is pretty sweet.

Thanks for pointing that out, gonna give it a go.