SINGAPORE — Singapore's public transit data is freely available to developers, yet it isn't part of Apple's latest and lauded Apple Maps update.
Apple started including public transportation in Apple Maps for iOS 9Google Maps, on the other hand, has provided public transport data in the highly connected, data-obsessed island state for years.
A spokesperson with the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) said Google had a collaboration with the transport ministry in 2009, but since 2011, the LTA has made traffic information available publicly on its "data mall" site for developers and businesses.
In April this year, the LTA extended the depth of data to cover real-time bus arrival and crowd information, taxi availability and the locations of covered footpaths and subway exits.
The LTA's chief data officer, Rosina Howe-Teo, told the Business Times in a 2015 interview that the LTA prioritises the collection of transportation data: "Given our role as a land transport regulator, we find it necessary to equip ourselves with good ground-sensing capability, real-time data, down to the most granular level from multiple sources, for correlation analysis — not only for planning purposes but increasingly to fulfil what is expected of us to ensure the smooth running of the overall transport network."
Singapore has positioned itself as a city test bed for urban projects, in its quest to be a "smart nation." The country has a 10-year masterplan that includes placing all-in-one sensor boxes around the city to collect data on human and road traffic, so that companies can tap this data for applications.
Apple might be taking so long to include Singapore in the data, but at least Siri knows how to pronounce our road names correctly:
An Apple spokesperson was unable to provide further information on when Singapore's public transport data will be included in Maps. Google did not respond to our questions in time.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.. But while 10 major global cities — and 300 at once in China — will receive support, Singapore isn't one of them.
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