BEIJING, July 26 (Xinhuanet)-- Google on Tuesday began offering mobile phone users in more than 30 U.S. major metropolitan areas the ability to view highway maps with live traffic updates.

    The users can get partial information for smaller cities as well, Google said.

    The search engine's mobile map service for cell phones is also available as a small download for compatible models.

    Traffic information will be provided as an additional layer that users can toggle on and off. Routes are shown in green, yellow, or red depending on the severity of traffic congestion, along with detailed information on incidents.

    So mobile phone users will now see the expected drive time as well as any unexpected traffic delays, making travel planning much easier and more effective.

    And another new feature -- the ability to store their favorite searches and driving directions -- will allow users to access frequently used routes and compare traffic conditions on them.

    To date, none of the major online services offer such a service in their own map products for mobile devices. While Yahoo offers traffic conditions in the desktop version of their product, the mobile version does not. Enditem

(Agencies)