Google is finally bringing the Street View feature to India. Google Maps has launched the service across 10 cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vadodara, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad.
The feature has been available in cities spread over 100 countries since 2007, but it’s coming to India now. In India, unlike in other markets, Google Street View is powered by images from third parties as per the National Geospatial Policy 2021 that lets Indian companies collect map data and license it to others. Google has partnered with two companies – Tech Mahindra and Genesys International, an advanced mapping solutions company.
“Starting today, Street View will be available on Google Maps with fresh imagery licensed from local partners covering over 1,50,000 km across ten cities in India, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar, and Amritsar,” the company said in a statement. “Street View will help people navigate and explore new corners of the country and the world in a more visual and accurate way, enabling them to fully experience what it’s like to be in these places, right from their phone or computer,” the company added further. Google, Genesys International, and Tech Mahindra plan to expand this to more than 50 cities by the end of 2022.
How does Street View work?
While Google Maps gives users the ability to plot a route and see the satellite view of the same, this does not give a clear idea of the road conditions. Google Street View is an immersive 360-degree view of a location captured using special cameras mounted on vehicles or on backpacks by data collectors moving around the city streets. The images are then patched together to create a 360-degree view. So, users will be able to see exactly how a new destination looks like, and even explore local businesses before you visit them.
How to access Street View?
To access this feature, simply open Google Maps, zoom into a road in any of these target cities and tap the area you want to view. There will be an icon at the bottom of the screen, just tap on it to get a Street View look. Get to know the local cafes, and cultural hotspots, or check out the local neighbourhood.
Additionally, Google announced its collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to provide air quality information. This information can be accessed by tapping the ‘Layers’ button at the top right in their Maps app and selecting the ‘Air Quality’ option.
Google has also announced that Google Maps will now show speed limits information shared by traffic authorities. As of now, the feature will be available in Bengaluru and Chandigarh but the tech giant is looking forward to partnering with more cities.
