Google releases “Two Wheeler Mode” for Maps in East Asian countries

Google had announced the "two-wheeler mode" as an India-first initiative back in December 2017. Now, the mode is being rolled out to the other East Asian countries where a large number of population is still relying on the two-wheelers. The new feature will be available for the countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore.

The two-wheeler mode allows a biker to identify routes that make it easier for them to move through the congested routes and narrow paths which eventually help them to travel to their destination in less time. As the name suggests that the new feature is specifically designed for the bikers. Users can access the feature by tapping on the motorcycle icon in the row that shows different modes of transport.

Using the feature for creating routes for the two-wheelers, Google Maps can also include "roads and alleyways without its actual names". Unlike the Google Map's standard way of navigation, the new feature notifies the user regarding the upcoming landmarks like the big hospitals and the city squares.

The Head of Product for the Google Maps, Krish Vitaldevara, was reported telling The Verge that the two-wheeler features primarily helps the bikers and the two-wheeler riders to remember the routes. This helps the riders to not to get distracted while riding two wheelers avoiding some fatal accidents. Hence, the companies such as Samsung have introduced a Ride Mode in their devices which will help avoid the riders getting distracted which eventually prevents the accidents.

During the announcement of the feature in Thailand, Google revealed that the feature is currently available for the Android users only. There is no information available as of now as to when the feature will make its way for the iOS users and for the web version.

Also, there is no information available as of now as to when the feature will be available for the rest of the globe. However, for the western markets, Google has also recently rolled out a newly redesigned interface which allows the users to explore nearby restaurants and other eating joints.