[WM]Taipei, July 18 (CNA) U.S.-based search engine giant Google on Wednesday launched a new Google Maps service for motorbike riders in Taiwan that will help them plan their routes and calculate their travel time.
The two-wheel navigation mode was launched by Google for the first time in December 2017, and Taiwan became the fourth country worldwide to have the service, after India, Indonesia and Malaysia, Google said.
The new services are a good fit for a country with a big motorbike population like Taiwan, which has more than 14 million motorbike riders, Google said.
The new services will help riders identify the best routes to arrive at their destinations as quickly as possible, even during rush hour, the company said.
The new navigation mode can recommend legal shortcuts for motorbikes, show vehicle speeds for riders to precisely calculate travel times, and help them schedule a better route to get them to their destinations, according to Google.
The new navigation service will also speak to motorbike riders through voice assistance to alert them to turns they should take and remind them of road conditions.
Motorbike riders will need mobile devices powered by Android Kitkat 4.4 or more advanced operating systems to be able to use the new map service, Google said.
Google Maps previously provided navigation services for car drivers and pedestrians in Taiwan, and it also launched up-to-the minute information on public transportation services in the country in January 2017.