Google has activated changes to its Maps application, following a recent attack on an American tourist, who had been directed through Nyanga from Cape Town International Airport. The tech company, the Department of Transport and the City of Cape Town are also working on identifying hotspots and improving information available to tourists about areas to avoid.

Speaking at the signing of a co-operation agreement between the Department of Transport and Google, Google Country Director Dr Alistair Mokoena said updates had been made to the app to ensure that this route was no longer recommended.

He said Google Maps was meant to connect people to their destinations in the fastest, safest possible way and considered criteria such as the road surface, how direct the route was, and the road quality.

Earlier this month, American tourist Walter Fischel was shot during a hijacking in Nyanga, after being directed through the area by the app.

Mokoena said Google had met with the Minister with the City of Cape Town and other regulators to find solutions following the attack.

“There is a specific area around Nyanga, around the airport intersection, and we are looking at that to ensure it doesn’t become a feature when we recommend the fastest possible routes.”

Mokoena said changes in the app to cut out this hotspot were already live.

“Now, if you’re coming from the airport, and let’s say you want to connect to Simon’s Town, you are able to connect with routes that do not take you through this crime hotspot,” he said.

Route challenges

When inputting a route between the airport and Fish Hoek this week, the app showed a route taking major roads like the N2 and M5. However, when selecting a route from Cape Town International to Blouberg, for example, and selecting the public transport tab, the app suggests travellers make their way via a e-hailing service to catch a bus at the Jeff Masemola transport interchange on Spine Road. The road that runs through Kuils River, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha is deemed unsafe by both officials and locals because of the number of accidents and incidents of crime recorded there.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this, but during Monday’s announcement, Mokoena said crime hotspots had been identified with the Department of Tourism, and the City of Cape Town and Google were working to ensure the crime hotspots did not form part of the route.

De Lille said her department had identified 59 hotspots in the country. A plan to deploy 2 300 tourism safety monitors to hotspots across the country by November, has been delayed because “somewhere in the supply chain management process, somebody messed up”. They will now only be deployed from mid-December.

Mokoena said tourists researched destinations before taking their trips, and safety formed part of that research. He said Google was working with authorities, the Ministry, and the City to ensure that people had information available to them. These included marketing campaigns, ensuring that there was visible signage in hotspots warning people about crime, and working with tourist touchpoints like car-rental companies so that they could share the right kind of information with visitors.

This week De Lille also briefed the Diplomatic Corps in South Africa on tourism safety initiatives in South Africa. She detailed programmes such as the tourism monitors, the recently launched SECURA App, and an MOU signed with the South African Police Services.

CAA engaged on drone usage

She also said her department had engaged the Civil Aviation Authority on the use of drones in the management of incidents of crime against tourists.

“The department is looking at piloting the use of drones in the coming financial year.”

De Lille said her department would also prepare a briefing document to be issued through International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor, to foreign heads of mission.

This she said was not to sensationalise crime. “We have to illustrate to the world, to convert those people who are thinking of coming but they are not sure about the safety, that we have a plan and we have implemented a plan.”