Waze and Google Maps now favour greener routes

This development is far from universally popular.

If you rely on Waze or Google Maps every day, or for setting off on holiday, you may have noticed a change to their route suggestions. It is a major shift for these two services, which are particularly popular in France: as reported by Le Journal du Geek, they now prioritise routes with the lowest environmental impact rather than the shortest journeys.

Waze and Google Maps prioritise lower-impact routes

This change is not accidental; it follows decree no. 2022-1199 introduced by the government. The measure requires digital journey-planning platforms to highlight the least polluting routes.

Now in force, the legislation states: “Digital services designed to facilitate multimodal travel shall highlight proposed routes with the lowest impact in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions.” Another provision, our colleagues add, requires applications to offer an alternative that reduces speed by 20 km/h when a journey includes a section where the maximum permitted speed is 110 km/h or above.

Similar changes in Île-de-France

On paper, the change offers genuine benefits to Google Maps and Waze users, who can see their carbon footprint and make an environmentally conscious choice to protect the environment and reduce CO2 emissions. However, these routes will generally take longer than they did previously, which has not pleased everyone, judging by comments posted online. Nevertheless, the apps do not prevent users from choosing: they can still switch back to the fastest routes in the settings.

Le Journal du Geek also refers to the Île-de-France region, which asked Google Maps to alter how it operated and promote alternative routes ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The aim was to prevent potential traffic congestion.

Île-de-France Mobilités and traffic flow

For its part, the “Île-de-France Mobilités” app was specifically designed to keep traffic moving and reduce congestion. Put simply, it does not necessarily suggest the shortest routes for individual users, but those that serve the collective interests of motorists and residents.

Laurent Probst, managing director of the Île-de-France Transport Authority, also told Ouest-France: “If they do not do it, the State will have to take the necessary decisions. We will ask them to shut down their application. It is a matter of public safety.”

Have you already noticed these changes on Waze and Google Maps? Do you support them, or did you prefer the previous approach? Feel free to share your views in the comments.