Google Maps Shows Traffic Alerts During Route Planning in Hong Kong

While commuting to work this morning, I considered whether driving might be a viable option. My new workplace is in Tung Chung, and I typically commute by bus and MTR.

I used my iPhone to access Google Maps, tapped on the destination, and checked which route was better. To my surprise, one of the routes displayed a traffic alert!

I had assumed this feature was exclusive to Apple Maps and available only in certain major cities like New York City. I never expected it to be available in Hong Kong.

I switched to check the route from Tung Chung to Hong Kong Island. It appeared that the traffic alert was specific to eastbound traffic only.

Next, I checked westbound traffic by switching back to the original route from Hong Kong Island to Tung Chung. Sure enough, it showed normal traffic conditions.

After searching online, I couldn’t find any relevant information about the traffic alert. It wasn’t until 10 minutes later, when I returned to the office, that I found a related report.

I am confident that these traffic incident reports are updated in real time. Hooray!

According to the Hong Kong government’s website http://www.gov.hk/en/theme/psi/datasets/specialtrafficnews.htm , the source of these traffic incident reports may come from the government itself.