With many boda boda ride-hailing services cropping up in Uganda, it was about time Google updated its mapping application to support such services. In rapidly expanding populations, increased mobile phone penetration and crowded cities that are often poorly signposted have led hufe technology firms to identify African countries as potential growth areas.
Google Maps under new features aimed at attracting more users in Africa that were unveiled by the company on Wednesday as it aims to capture new users and expand its appeal beyond just drivers.
Google’s boda boda directions will be available in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Rwanda, Togo and Uganda from Wednesday, the company said.
“There are 10 million (motorcycles) in Nigeria, it’s hugely popular,” said Ramesh Nagarajan, Google’s director of product management. “We’re going market by market based on popularity.”
We can already see the boda boda turn-by-turn direction in Google Maps and in the coming months, the maps feature will also allow users to seek directions on what it calls “informal transit”
Google partnered with local companies in the mentioned countries to gather map data on the different boda boda routes available, and aims to tell users the best options available based on traffic, weather and road conditions.
“What we’re really hoping is for people who might be making a trip to an unfamiliar town, maybe a journey they don’t usually take, to be able to discover the info they need to make that journey,” said Jeff Albertson, a Google senior product manager who worked on the development.
