Google Maps Team Launched Driving Directions For Africa – Awesome
The Google maps team finally launched driving directions for Africa. This is something I have been waiting for, for sometime now. Finally its here. :-)
http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2010/04/google-maps-for-africa-gets-better.html
I like this part of the post about the launch.
So the next time you are in Ghana driving from Kotoka International Airport to Hotel Novotel in Victoria Borg, Accra or you just want to drive from Nairobi to Kampala, visit Google Maps and allow us to help you get to your destination.
Now no more clumsy directions, like we usually do here in Ghana, which goes like, Yeah, go left( its not far ), turn right, you will see a plantain seller at the corner, then go further down the street, there is a house painted black, by pass it and go further until you see a “shoe shine” sitting on the other side of the street. Ask around if anyone knows Mr. Pee Jay. He is popular. Once someone says yeah, I know Mr. Pee Jay, that means you are at the right neighbourhood. Then start looking for a house painted red with yellow gate and green walls. Oh gosh, this kind of directions gives me a migraine. By the time the direction is done, you’ve even forgotten where to start from.
To satisfy my curiosity. I tested the map direction. Work so well. I can see the direction form Kotoka Airport to Dansoman where I live. Super cool.
Kudos to Google Maps team for bringing this to us. It will save some of us tons of time.
5 Comments
Henry Addo on April 25th, 2010
skk. Made that up :-)
felix on August 13th, 2010
Thanks for that! I laughed hard.
Ben Konrath on February 8th, 2011
You should also check out the Open Street Map project (www.openstreetmap.org). One of the advantages is that it lets people edit the maps to so that the map can reflect how local people view the map (language, points of reference etc). OSM also allows raw access to the map data so that high quality physical maps can be created legally and easily. There are sites that will do routing based on OSM data.
AEM on August 31st, 2011
Great that Google Maps finally made getting consistent driving directions in Africa a breeze. I’ve heard plenty of rural directions in my time (turn left and if you get to the blue barn, you’ve gone too far) so this is fantastic.
jojoo on April 24th, 2010
Oh Henry! You dey make I dey laugh too much! skkk. Ask for Mr. Pee Jay? Who that? skkkk