Google Maps Gets Toll Update

Google has made it easier to use Google Maps, the tech giant announced Tuesday (April 5).

In a blog post, Google Maps Product Manager Rubén Lozano Aguilera wrote users can say goodbye to road trip and vacation planning worries with updates to the commuter feature.

“Whether you’re driving around a new city or heading out on a weekend road trip, we’re launching new improvements including toll prices, a more detailed navigation map, and iOS updates to help you plan your drive, save money and explore a new place,” he wrote.

For the first time, he said, Google Maps will detail toll prices thanks to local tolling authorities.

For drivers who prefer a toll-free route, Maps will still show you that route as an option. Users can tap the three dots at the top right corner of directions in Maps to see route options and select “Avoid tolls.”

“You’ll start seeing toll prices on Android and iOS this month for nearly 2,000 toll roads in the United States., India, Japan and Indonesia — with more countries coming soon,” Lozano Aguilera wrote.

In addition, Maps will allow users to see traffic signals and stop signs along a route, along with building outlines and areas of interest. In select cities, detailed information such as the road’s shape and width, including medians and islands, will be available to limit the chances of missing a turn or making last-minute lane changes.

The Google Maps updates come as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is accelerating its investigation into whether the feature’s practice of bundling the service with other Google software goes against anti-competition practices.

Read more: DOJ Ramps up Google Maps Investigation

The agency’s examination into Google began in 2020 but has been dormant until recently, when investigators looked into it again, Reuters reported.

Google told the news outlet it welcomes regulators’ questions and will cooperate with the investigation.