Ride-hailing app Uber began mapping the streets of Singapore on Monday, as it expands its internal mapping program to Asia for the first time.
Uber, which announced a $500 million expansion of its internal mapping program in July 2016, said in a blog post that some of third party map data, such as oceanic topography, was not relevant for its needs. The mapping project stems from its complicated relationship with Google, with both companies keeping each other at arms length due to competing priorities, such as Google’s Waze partnering with Uber competitor Lyft.
The company plans to equip driver’s vehicles with mapping devices in Singapore in its effort to “know a lot more about, like traffic patterns and precise pick-up and drop-off locations” Uber said.”We need to be able to provide a seamless experience in parts of the world where there aren’t detailed maps — or street signs.”
The effort follows similar Uber mapping projects in the U.S., Mexico, South Africa, Canada and Australia.