Google in talks with A'bad BRTS for mapping

After Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) routes and schedule making it on Google Maps, the search engine giant is in talks with Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) for mapping Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) on the website.

"We are in talks with public transport systems including Ahmedabad BRTS for content acquisition for Google Maps. The maps section already features DMRC routes and schedules and we intend to tap other public transports across the country," said Jagjit Chawla, product manager, Google India.

Currently, Google's Internet Bus is touring in and around Ahmedabad wherein internet content in both English and Gujarati languages will be showcased. "The Internet is a strong medium of knowledge. Our attempt through the Internet Bus is to spread the awareness of this medium and its relevance in our daily life. Google aspires to improve livelihoods, lifestyle and productivity for Indian users by generating and preserving income, leading to improved livelihoods and better lifestyles, by overcoming language and literacy barriers," said Chawla.

The Google Internet Bus attempts to educate people about what the Internet is, and how it may be beneficial to their lives, by taking the Internet experience to them through a customized Internet-enabled bus, which will travel to several towns and cities across India. In Gujarat, Google intends to take the bus to at least 15 tier-II and tier-III cities.

In addition, Google has organised a school outreach program where a team of two people with laptops will branch out from the bus and visit schools that the bus will not been able to reach in order to teach children the benefits of the internet.

So far the bus has travelled in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AP, MP, Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab/Haryana, covering more than 600 locations across 95 towns. According to Chawla, surveys have indicated that 26 per cent of visitors have gone online for the first time after visiting the Internet Bus.