For parking, the company is working with two technical providers – Passport and ParkMobile – who will link Google Maps to parking meters on the street. When people use Google Maps to navigate to a destination, the app automatically asks them to “pay for parking.” They can then enter their meter number, the amount of time they want to park and click “pay”.
With the new paid parking feature, users can also remotely extend the time on their parking meter.
For users who rely on public transportation, Google says it will increase the ability to pay for public transportation through the app: it will now connect to more than 80 transportation companies around the world. As users plan their trip, Google Maps shows them how to pay for their trip and allows them to do it in advance with a credit or debit card stored in their Google Pay wallet. That way, when they arrive at the station, they can be on the go without having to pull out their wallets or switch to another app.
“Once you buy your fare, all you have to do is tap your phone on the reader or show your digital ticket on board,” Google said.
While many people still spend a lot of time at home because of the pandemic, these features are likely to come in handy as more people are vaccinated and the reopening continues.