Google Maps inaccurate travel times and hazardous routes in India
Google Maps reportedly provided inaccurate travel time estimates and nonsensical routes to users in India. Investor Ashish Kacholia missed a flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai after the app underestimated travel time by more than an hour, while another user reported being directed to walk across water for part of a route in Kochi.
What happened
Investor Ashish Kacholia reported missing his flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai on August 29, 2024, after Google Maps showed a travel time of 1 hour 45 minutes, but the journey took 3 hours instead.
A Kochi man reported that Google Maps showed a route requiring him to walk on water for 12 minutes as part of the path from Fort Kochi Bus Stop to Vypin-Fort Kochi Jankar Ferry.
Reported impact
Kacholia missed his scheduled flight due to the inaccurate travel time estimate provided by Google Maps.
The user described the water-crossing route as implausible, questioning whether Google Maps expected him to have the ability to walk on water.
Index analysis
Multiple users reported that Google Maps travel time predictions have become increasingly unreliable in Bengaluru, with the app failing to account for traffic conditions accurately.
Google Maps has been noted to show routes that do not exist in reality or cannot be physically traversed, such as routes through water or missing information about flyovers and underpasses.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.