Michal Ždanský Prague residents can now search for public transport connections in the Google Maps iPhone application. The agreement between Google and the Prague Transport Company contributed to this. Prague has thus joined Brno and other world cities, which are now supported by over 500. Last week, the server informed about this IHNED.cz.
The ability to search for public transport connections is nothing new in Google Maps, they were already available in 2009 for example, residents of Pardubice can search for connections, even at a time when the pre-installed Maps application in iOS provided map data from Google. Last year, it was already possible to search for public transport connections in the territory of Brno, but that was the only other Czech city where the service was available. Other residents of the Czech Republic were dependent on third-party applications, for example on a successful application IDOS.
Contract with the Transport Company hl. Prague was already closed in the middle of 2011, but deployment was complicated by the company Chaps, which is the monopoly owner of data on public transport in the territory of the Czech Republic and allows almost no one to access them - apart from the company MAFRA, which operates the IDOS.cz portal and several smaller entities , among which are developers IDOS or CG Transit.
In the Google Maps application itself, you can search for a connection by clicking on the crossroads icon in the search field. Then select the train icon from the icons on the top left, which will switch you to public transport search mode. You then enter the start and destination of the journey. In the case of the starting address, Google Maps will offer you the current location, but also the stops in the nearest vicinity. Additionally, you can choose the departure time (the default time is always the current one) and you can also choose the type of transport or route style (best route, fewer transfers, less walking) in the option menu.
After confirming the search, the application will offer you the four nearest connections, unfortunately it is not possible to load more of them. Once you select one, your entire route will appear on the map, including the exact location of the stops, which is especially handy for transfers when you don't know exactly where the next stop is. By clicking on the information card below, you will then get a detailed schedule of the connection, the application can even display all the stations that you will pass through with the given connection.
If we compare the public transport options in Google Maps with dedicated applications, the solution from Google comes up a little short after all. For example, IDOS will offer many other functions, such as favorite stations and connections, loading of next and previous connections, or advanced search options. However, for less demanding Praguers traveling by public transport, Google Maps is completely sufficient and they will thus get a combination of a map application with a search for public transport connections.
Google has not yet indicated whether support for public transport connections will also appear in other Czech cities. Due to the current contractual relationship between Chaps and MAFRA, it is unlikely that public transport in Google Maps will be available for the remaining cities anytime soon. We can therefore only hope that Prague, Brno and Pardubice will soon be joined by other cities. Possible candidates are Ostrava, Liberec and Pilsen, where at least the "transport layer" is available. For the sake of interest, public transport in Google Maps is only available in Žilina for its Slovak neighbors.
Of course, Prague public transport is also available on the Android map application and on the Google Maps website.
Contract with the Transport Company hl. City of Prague was already closed in the middle of 2013?
Isn't it supposed to be 2012? ….
thanks fixed.
You made a typo there: "Contract with the Transport Company hl. The city of Prague was already closed in the middle of 2013", the middle of 2013 has never been :)
Does anyone know if gmaps will also be available on the ipad? and if so when? :D
btw: if you search for a connection from Prague to Brno, it will find it :) according to Google, the connection Prague – Brno is run by Student Agency buses :D
So maybe we will also get data from Czech Railways...
Mhd in Pardubice did not find the Google application.
Great!
+ As Leon asked, it would like Google Maps for iPad! :-/ Couldn't they have paid a few thousand employees for it and released it with an iPhone version?