Google adds live Traffic and Transport info in Singapore

While there is no official announcement yet (in the next few hours), but Google has activated the traffic status with information streamed from Land Transport Authority. When you go to Google Maps Singapore, you will notice a new tab – “Traffic” which will show you either a Live traffic update or a predicted traffic status, based on past records. You can also plan your route with public transport information included (not sure if this is new though).

Google Maps Singapore

This new feature also shows up on the Maps app on your iPhone, although with a smaller feature set as the Desktop browser version. where the options to travel by car, public transport or walking is available. If you select to travel by public transport, you can set Departure or Arrival time and the routes will be suggested accordingly. For both – green symbolises smooth traffic, yellow moderate and red as slow traffic.

Hopefully coming up after this, is the launch of Google Maps Navigation for iPhone.

Try it on your iPhone now and let us know whether it matches the traffic situation where you at! Between Google Maps now and gothere.sg, we’ll have plenty of good choices in route planning for our small island!

See attached screen shots on the various settings available.

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GoThere.sg – getting here and there and getting better at it

Local startup GoThere.sg provides a valuable service for people who travels, and especially for those who are clueless about places in Singapore. Basically the site gives you fast and accurate instructions to get from Point A to Point B, either by public transport or by car. And the latest update by them, push their value up a few notches!

Firstly new maps. These included updated routes like the KPE which Google Maps had yet to include which they were using previously. And to two-up Google (or double one-up), they also included a limited coverage of Google’s Street View which have yet to reach Singapore.

They have improved driving directions, including new routes like the KPE, realtime information about the dreaded ERP (including the cost and locations), and you can even look into the future and see how much it’ll cost to drive at a future time.

If you need to cab, there is also a new section where it will tell you the best route and the estimated cost, including all the various surcharges!

Now all they need is to port all these new functions (especially driving directions) onto the mobile version at http://gothere.sg/m for use on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

(via Lucian’s twitter)

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Use Postal code for Google Map search

Google’s been working hard in their effort to improve the features of the Google Map services in Singapore. First, we seen signs of Google Street View coming here soon.

Now recently, they added Postal code search and reverse Geo-coding while in Google Map as posted by SinGeo.

With Postal Code search, you can key in the 6-digit postal code while searching. That said, the database seems to be incomplete as it failed to return a result when I searched for Apple Singapore (postal code 569086) or the Istana. But when a result is shown, Google been able to get within a block or two of the location – example Funan IT Mall

This also works on the Map app on your iPhone & iPod Touch.

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