SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 18 March 2008 – Whether you’re a consummate commuter, intrepid traveler, or just love hopping on trains, ferries and buses, Google is proud to announce it is making Google Transit™, a feature of Google Maps™, available for Perth, Western Australia.
This will be the first release of Google Transit in the southern hemisphere. Public transport directions for Perth will be available to all users shortly.
Utilising information available through Transperth, users of Google Maps will be able to easily access public transport schedules, routes, and plan trips using local public transportation options.
"Transperth has always aimed to connect Perth locals and visitors with their options for public transport," Mark Burgess, Executive Director of Transperth said. "We’re excited to make this information available to all the Australians who already turn to Google Maps for directions, and most especially to the local Perth community."
Planning a trip a week or two in advance? Figuring out a new commuting schedule? The Google Transit feature also allows you to customise your searches by specific date and time, so that you can see what’s up and coming, and how to get where you need to be.
"Google Maps was originally developed in Australia," Alan Noble, Head of Engineering for Google Australia and New Zealand, pointed out. "Making Transit available in Perth is another step in Google’s continued commitment to provide Australians with truly useful and local tools. Transperth has been a great partner and has shown what can be done. We’re eager to work with other states to roll out Google Transit in cities around Australia."
"We think it’s a great way for people to find what works the best for them, and make use of all the great public transport options that Perth has to offer," added Reece Waldock, CEO of Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority, Transperth’s parent agency.
Of course, users get all the popular features that Google Maps already has to offer, including click-and-draggable maps, satellite and terrain views, as well as listings for local landmarks and businesses, plus the ability to create and share personalised maps.
Rob Shilkin, Google, rshilkin@google.com, +61 2 9374 4091
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
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Google, Google Maps and Google Transit are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.
Labels: Australia new announcements
