Google Maps let you know traffic updates of Dhaka

You may not be aware that "Traffic" option in Google Maps is now fully-functioning in Bangladesh. Google Traffic is a feature on Google Maps that displays real time traffic status of major roads and highways. Users can find it in the drop-down menu on Google Maps. With this feature, you can understand the traffic conditions in the different routes of the city. The roads on the map change color depending on the movement of vehicles. Green indicates no traffic; orange, medium traffic; red, traffic delays; and dark red, traffic gridlock.

Well, every time you use the Maps app, you allow it to access your location. The app sends the data back to its server and in that way, if the location is on a road, Google will be able to analyze in real-time whether you're moving or stuck in one place. By taking in data from millions of users 24/7, Google is able to predict where and when you can get heavy traffic.

However, if you do not want Google to access your location and invade your privacy, you always have the option to switch it off but do remember you are doing it and everyone else does the same, the traffic update would become pointless.

In the desktop maps, you will have two options to view: Typical Traffic Mode or Live Traffic. Live traffic is simply the condition of traffic in real time and Typical Traffic mode is more of an historical data based on the days and time.
The real time traffic update will definitely help us in making better decisions in moving ahead but for that, the more users we have with location tracking on, the better.

To run this feature Google uses crowd sourced data. Hand-held devices which have Google Maps active and Android phones that have location service turned on can send data back to Google. This allows the app to analyze the total number of cars, and how fast they are moving along the roads at any given time. On February 28, 2007, the service was launched by Google, but the service was launched in Bangladesh recently.

Regarding this, moderator of Google Local Guide of Bangladesh Mahbub Hasan said, the feature is now only available for updates on important and major roads. Later, other road updates will also be added here. The feature is now in the experimental stage. This feature will give users a better experience in near future. Google Traffic works by analyzing the GPS-determined locations transmitted to Google by a large number of mobile phone users.

By calculating the speed of users along a length of road, Google is able to generate a live traffic map. Google processes the incoming raw data about mobile phone device locations, and then excludes anomalies such as a postal vehicle that makes frequent stops. When a threshold of users in a particular area is noted, the overlay along roads and highways on the Google map changes color.

Early versions of Google Maps provided information to users about how long it would take to travel a particular road in heavy traffic conditions. Traffic information was based on historical traffic data and was not particularly accurate.

In 2004 Google acquired ZipDash, a company specializing on real-time traffic analysis. In 2007, Google integrated ZipDash's technology into Google Maps, offering traffic data based on information gathered anonymously from cellular phone users.

To get this service, you can download the Google Map app from Play Store. Clicking 'Real Time Traffic' from the map menu you will get three parallel lines, where there is a drop-down menu. Go to 'Traffic' option and click 'Live Traffic' to 'Typical Traffic'.