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Go-Ahead Ireland & Google Maps

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  • 04-01-2019 10:06am
    #1
    WoodworkGuy
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭


    GAI recently took over a local bus route (17a)

    Yesterday I had someone visiting and they used Google Maps to get to my house and instead of Maps showing one direct GAI route, it made them take THREE Dublin Buses instead.

    This made me realise that after GAI took over the 17a, Google Maps stopped offering it as a valid route you could take. Surely this is gonna cause confusion, esp for tourists.

    Is this the case with the other GAI routes? Why did it happen? Is there any way to get this fixed by Google?


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    #2
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Depends on where ever they scrape the data. If it's a Dublin bus source, it's not going to be there anymore.


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    #3
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,291 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    yeah, i suspect the same - dublin bus probably have someone feeding the info about their services to google maps, and it appears that go-ahead do not.


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    #4
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,250 ✭✭✭markpb


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    Depends on where ever they scrape the data. If it's a Dublin bus source, it's not going to be there anymore.

    Google don't scrape the data at all, it's submitted to them in GTFS format by someone in each city. In Ireland, I'm not sure if the submitter is NTA or DB. You could be right that DB have removed those routes from their feed. This page says that both Go-Ahead and GAI work do produce GTFS for Google but it sounds like it's a new thing for them so perhaps it's not working properly yet?

    Incidentally, I've found that the times Google Maps shows for DB and Luas are totally untrustworthy. I'm not sure if that's a problem with the underlying data or something else.


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    #5
    RuleNumber6
    Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭RuleNumber6


    Interestingly all GA services seem to be on Apple Maps. So something Google specific?


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    #6
    Bob the Builder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    Sorry to revive an old thread but this is a real pain point with the new Go-Ahead routes. GoAhead and TFI haven't been all that helpful on Twitter and all we keep hearing is "We're working on it" and "soon".


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    #7
    MOH
    Registered Users Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭MOH


    Surprised Google Maps are still showing Dublin Bus routes. Must be at least 6 months since route maps on the DB website stopped working because they haven't paid their Google API fees. Bit ironic them blathering on about fare evasion when they're not paying their own bills.


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    #8
    Bob the Builder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    Haha yeah, it actually feels a lot longer than six months since Dublin Bus online map stopped working.

    It renders Google Maps unusable without having access to the up to date timetables from Go Ahead at least.

    I live near the N11, near Stillorgan. My sister coming to visit me was saying that Dundrum is over an hour an a half away because she was using Google Maps and that was telling her to go to Dundrum via town or Leeson Street, rather than the much more convenient No. 75 bus operated by Go-Ahead.


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    #9
    expectationlost
    Registered Users Posts: 11,753 ✭✭✭✭expectationlost


    MOH wrote: »
    Surprised Google Maps are still showing Dublin Bus routes. Must be at least 6 months since route maps on the DB website stopped working because they haven't paid their Google API fees. Bit ironic them blathering on about fare evasion when they're not paying their own bills.
    could they find another map provider that would be cheaper then googles rate?


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    #10
    p_haugh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,117 ✭✭✭p_haugh


    Interestingly enough the Dublin Bus routes shown on Google Maps are fully up to date, including the new route 155 (although it was added two weeks prior to it being in service).


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    #11
    normanoffside
    Registered Users Posts: 9,925 ✭✭✭normanoffside


    Go Ahead buses are now appearing on google maps!


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    #12
    Leonard Hofstadter
    Registered Users Posts: 5,540 ✭✭✭Leonard Hofstadter


    normanoffside wrote: »
    Go Ahead buses are now appearing on google maps!

    About frickin time!


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    #13
    p_haugh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,117 ✭✭✭p_haugh


    Nice to have the Go Ahead routes up on google maps now!
    Although, google maps still don't show realtime info for any of the stops, only the scheduled time for a service.


  • Options
    #14
    Bob the Builder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    Great to see even the 165 operated by Mortons Coaches (Sydney Parade to Citywest) appearing on the map now... Though it's a pity that route is officially finishing on Friday due to lack of demand...

    I think if the info had been on the map sooner it would have been a different outcome. Most people just didn't know about it.

    Nonetheless, great to see GA-I buses and timetables on Google Maps now!

    WOOHOOO


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