Hop aboard! real-time information is now available for Kolkata's WBTC buses on Google Maps

Starting today, commuters in Kolkata will be able to 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 IAS Managing Director, WBTC, Narayan Swaroop Nigam.

"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 Minister In Charge Transport Department, Government of West Bengal, said Subhendu Adhikari.

Kolkata residents that need directions using public transport should follow these simple steps:

-Open Google Maps app on your Android or iOS device

Enter your destination and tap the 'get directions' icon. If it's not already selected, tap the 'transit' icon (the little tram) to view times, bus/train numbers, routes and more. You'll see the real-time arrival information in green.

Tapping a recommended route lets you view more information on the route's stops

Tap the bus stop to see a listing of all arriving buses, where relevant real-time info is depicted by the green beacon

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.

-Google Transit is a feature of Google Maps designed to help you plan your public transport trips quickly and easily. Just search for where you want to go and Google Maps will show you how to get there using public transport from your current location.

Google Transit is available on Google Maps for Android and iOS as well as the Web. If you're using the latest version of Google Maps, you can also compare public transport options to work out when you need to leave to arrive at your destination on time.

-Google Maps globally provides over 1 billion km worth of transit results every day and has schedules for more than 3 million public transit stops worldwide. Google Transit is now available for hundreds of cities across dozens of countries, with new partners joining all the time. Google continues to work with public transport services in other cities to enable real-time transit information for their services, and will announce these as and when they become available.