Parents who take public transport with a stroller are always faced with the hassle of stairs. To anticipate, this function on Google Maps is practical for optimizing your journey with young children.
Have you ever had to carry a stroller up a flight of stairs because there was no elevator nearby? You are not alone. Every day, thousands of parents find themselves in this situation. And this doesn’t just concern families. Elderly people, heavy travelers or even those who travel on crutches experience the same problem. Fortunately, Google Maps has a tool capable of avoiding these unpleasant surprises.
Today, we use the application to find an address, avoid traffic jams, locate a business or calculate a journey time. But certain functions still go largely unnoticed. This is the case of this tool launched by Google in 2018. Originally, the company developed it to help people in wheelchairs move around more easily. The goal was clear: to make accessibility information more visible and easier to find. Because, in many cities, it is rarely easy to identify stations equipped with elevators, access without steps or suitable connections.
As you will have understood, this option is useful to many people. When you travel with a large suitcase, you appreciate not having to climb several flights of stairs. When accompanying an elderly person, we prefer a slightly longer but more comfortable journey. Parents know that a simple station without an elevator can complicate an entire trip. Google also points out: “We designed this feature to make life easier for people in wheelchairs, but accessible routes are also useful for people using crutches or a stroller.”
Concretely, to take advantage of this option, Simply search for your destination in Google Maps, start a route and then select public transport. In the route settings, an option called “Wheelchair accessible” then allows you to display routes that take into account the accessibility equipment available. Once activated, this function favors the most suitable routes and helps to avoid numerous stairs and other complicated accesses.
Certainly, in certain cases, you will have to accept a few additional minutes of transport, or even a detour via another line or another station. It is therefore better to anticipate your trip and consult your itinerary a little in advance, especially when you have a train or plane to take.
