Investor Ashish Kacholia took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express frustration over Google Maps‘ inaccurate travel time estimation, which led him to miss his flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Kacholia, a co-founder of Hungama Digital, was traveling from Bengaluru’s HSR Layout to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), a journey of over 50 kilometers.
In his post, Kacholia revealed that Google Maps had estimated his trip would take 1 hour and 45 minutes. However, the journey extended to 3 hours, primarily due to rain complicating the trip. He criticized the navigation app for its failure to provide an accurate arrival time, which caused him to miss his flight. Kacholia also contrasted Bengaluru’s traffic management unfavorably with Mumbai’s, praising the latter for its efficiency in keeping traffic flowing.
User Reactions and Observations
Responses on X reflected widespread frustration with Bengaluru’s traffic issues. One user compared Google Maps’ reliability in Gurugram, where it works well, to Bengaluru, where it often gives inaccurate travel estimates. “I think Bangalore is the only place where you can’t rely on the travel time shown on Google Maps. Rarely happened in Gurgaon,” wrote user Sanjay Singh.
Another user recommended allowing extra time when traveling to Bengaluru airport, advising to aim for a 2-hour early arrival and adding 30 minutes during peak hours. “Commute is the biggest productivity killer in this great city,” the user noted.
A third user criticized Bengaluru’s infrastructure, highlighting how waterlogging during rain exacerbates traffic problems. “Bangalore turns pathetic specifically during rain due to water logging. Infrastructure needs a vast improvement compared to the stature it holds,” they commented.
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