Ride-Sharing to be Expanded in Google Maps

With the rise of businesses like Uber, ride-sharing seems to be the one of the major ways to get around, combining the convenience of a taxi with the ease of use provided by an app. Google added Uber integration to Maps a few years ago in select locations. Now, Google will be expanding the selection of ride-sharing services available via the Google Maps app to include five new partners from around the world, as well as adding a brand new tab for ride-sharing when plotting a journey alongside the standard ways of getting around such as car, taking public transportation, walking, or bicycling.

As well as the existing Uber integration, Google’s new partners will include 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the UK.

This is good news for both Uber and their rival firms, as they will be able to compete against each other from the level playing field of the same menu in Google apps. This will allow potential customers to choose the best service for them based on price and time-of-arrival, which will hopefully develop competition in order to get the best service for customers. Additionally, Maps will also allow users to distinguish between UberX, UberXL, and UberBlack services for an even greater service breakdown.

This integration of a number of ride services seems to be part of a move by Google to provide the definitive hub for transportation information. It is also a whole new battlefield for ride-sharing firms, who will no doubt seek more prominence on Google’s platform and it could be reasonable to see even more companies being available on Google Maps worldwide should the feature catch on.