Uber creating its own maps of Ottawa-Gatineau area after similar announcement in Toronto

Just a few months back, Uber announced its intention to begin creating maps for its drivers rather than using openly-sourced mapping data.

While it began this project in a few select cities, including Toronto back in August, Uber committed to roll out its mapping software to several more cities in Ontario. Ottawa-Gatineau seems to be next in line.

In August, Toronto’s Uber drivers were equipped with Uber’s own mapping software which deemphasized features irrelevant to the drivers, such as ocean typography. On the other hand, this mapping technology enhanced features such as traffic patterns and precise pickup and drop-off locations.

Uber’s Head of Product and Maps, Manik Gupta, told the Toronto Star a few weeks back that it would put 65 cars on the road in the GTA to collect this data for several weeks. While it’s not clear how exactly Uber will go about mapping the city of Ottawa, it’s been confirmed that the mapping operation is expanding to Ottawa-Gatineau in the near future.

Related: Uber to expand mapping technology in Toronto and to other Ontario cities

[source]Uber[/source]