Motorcycle Mode in Google Maps India

Source

https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-maps-india-motorcycle-two-wheeler-mode-launch-1783709

Highlights 

• it helps bikers find the fastest "bike-compatible" route to their destina 
• India looks to be the first market to get Motorcycle mode  
• It is showing up for a few users in India, not all yet

 The Indian market has been a major area of focus for Google and it seems that the latest feature in Google Maps  is an indicator of the same. Some users in India are reporting seeing a  new Motorcycle mode or Two-Wheeler mode in the latest version of Google  Maps (v9.67.1) for Android. The new mode is seen placed alongside the  earlier alternatives – Car, Foot, and Train. We're seeing the new mode  too, on the latest version of the Android app.First reported by Android Police,  the publication got a hold of screenshots from one such user in India  and the photos show that the new Motorcycle mode has been incorporated  to help bikers in the country find the route most suitable for their  vehicles. Launching such a product in India makes sense as a substantial  chunk of the country’s workforce travels on motorbikes and there are  quite a few routes that are not wide enough for a bigger vehicle to fit  in. We've reached out to Google for comment on the launch, and will  update this article when we hear back.The report also claims that  there have been sightings of the mode only by Indian users, making it  the first market for the feature. We had recently Google CEO Sundar  Pichai's comments about India playing an important role in improving Google Maps and other Google products.The  mode is fairly intuitive – according to the screenshots – and informs  bikers about all possible road closures along the way. It also gives  information about the parking situation at their destination, a handy  feature that was previously seen in the car mode.Android Police  notes that Motorcycle Mode has popped up in the source code for some of  the previous versions but this is the first time that we are seeing it  go live with the latest version.