Google Maps update shows you how late your bus is going to be

The pesky wait for a bus could be a little less uncertain after Google Maps launched a new tracking feature.

If you have ever relied on a bus outside a city or town, you know how grinding the wait can be, with buses often being cancelled seemingly without a reason, one after another.

In London, the situation is not much better, with average bus speeds, routes and passenger numbers falling.

Now, bus travel is set to become less uncertain thanks to a new Google Maps live tracker option announced today.

It allows passengers to track every vehicle anywhere in England, including outside London.

The bus tracker works like those on ride-hailing or food delivery apps, allowing people to follow the bus’s journey in real time to see how close it is to the stop.

The tracker, which started today as part of a Department for Transport and Google initiative, is set to end ‘guessing’ when buses will turn up, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

While the tracking option has been available on some other apps before, this is the first time Google Maps, which has millions of daily users in the UK, has brought it to its platform.

People reacted to the new feature on social media.

Mike said: ‘Not being funny but as Sheffielder who basically has to guess Bus times every Saturday – this is the greatest update and initiative the Government has ever done. I feel like a privileged Londoner. Love it.’

One person wrote: ‘Unironically and just unequivocally a good feature.’

Another user said: ‘Now do trains.’

The Transport Secretary said: ‘Passengers should not be left guessing when their bus will turn up, no matter where they live. Working with Google, we’re bringing real time bus tracking to more parts of England for the first time.

‘Passengers will know exactly where their bus is and when it will arrive, so they can leave home at the right moment rather than standing at a stop and hoping.

‘This is a step towards a more joined-up transport network fit for the modern day, whether you’re in a city centre or a rural village.’

Sarah-Jayne Williams, Director of Geo Partnerships at Google Maps, said the tech giant is giving ‘millions of passengers the confidence to plan their journeys accurately’ by integrating real-time bus information in England.

While Londoners have been blessed with the TfL live bus departure information boards, the situation is more bleak in rural and semi-rural areas with shrinking bus services.

Meanwhile, the government has blocked bus companies from increasing their ticket prices until next year.

A £3 national bus fare cap will be in place on single fares in England outside London until March 2027, replacing the earlier £2 cap.

In London, bus fares are frozen until July 5, 2026, with the pay as you go fare costing £1.75 for an adult, which allows unlimited bus journeys for one hour from the first tap.

How does the bus tracker help you? Let us know by emailing noora.mykkanen@metro.co.uk

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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