The guiding star

Thanks to constant expansion of urbane civilisation, our cities get a makeover almost every 6 months. The road that you drive on today may be out of bounds from tomorrow for a flyover construction. And with none on the road aware of an alternative, GPS navigators are fast becoming a way of life.

Thanks to constant expansion of urbane civilisation, our cities get a makeover almost every 6 months. The road that you drive on today may be out of bounds from tomorrow for a flyover construction. And with none on the road aware of an alternative, GPS navigators are fast becoming a way of life. “The last couple of years saw navigators graduating from a luxury item to an essential accessory,” says Rohan Verma, director, MapMyIndia.

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The navigators, that need to be just fitted in your car — many have it on their mobile phones as well — not only guides to the taash-party at your friend’s farm house, but also shows you where you can pick some flowers along with the nearest ATM to keep you loaded. “This [navigator], I must say, has shortened my distances,” says media professional Varun Srivastava.

Updated almost every six months, navigators an be connected via bluetooth to your mobiles as well. “I’m perennially lost on the road, and this is a real survival tool for me,” says DU student Alka Mathur, using a GPS on her mobile.

Though the MapMyIndia devices show up one-way roads, a total dependence on these may sometimes lead to a road which is blocked. “We are coming up with regular updates that may help curb such things in future,” informs Verma.