People are increasingly heading out as more countries ease lockdown restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic

People are increasingly heading out, as more countries ease lockdown restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and are turning to Google Maps to help navigate their journeys safely.

New features launched by the app are designed to help users find relevant travel information before leaving the home, such as updated bus schedules that take into account reduced hours put in place as a result of lockdowns.

The goal is to keep people safe when they are out and about, Google Maps Product Management Director Ramesh Nagarajan said. An important part of achieving that goal is ensuring commuters know what changes to expect when using public transport and the app now provides this, he said.

Users can also plan their trips around peak hours as the app shows when stations and other transport hubs are likely to be more crowded, based on previous incidents. Live data can be traced for any station to see how busy it is at any particular time. The features are generated from the data of anonymous users who have opted to turn on their Google Location History.