PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
How do I correct Google Maps error?
Q Google Maps is causing me a lot of trouble. I live down a farm track, about a mile off the main road and close to a heritage trail that circles a loch. If you search for the trail on Google Maps, two entries appear, one of which includes a postcode. This is the one that’s causing the problem. Anyone who uses this postcode to find directions to the trail ends up in our road. That’s fine for walkers and cyclists, but there is no access for motor vehicles. It’s a busy farm road, and people often park indiscriminately in front of the farm gate. There are several other, more suitable access points to the loch that visitors could use instead.
We’ve made various attempts to rectify this problem, but nothing has worked. Is there any way to get in touch with Google so it can alter the map?
Hugh MacCaw
A We’ve changed your name and details of your location to protect your privacy. However, when we tried searching for the place you mentioned in your letter, we saw the problem immediately. It must be infuriating, both for you and for those misdirected tourists. We suggest a two-pronged approach. The first is to tell Google about the error, and the second is to plant your own digital signpost to tell visitors they’re entering a farm. In both cases, you will need to log into Google Maps using a Google account.
To tell Google about a mapping error, right-click the offending item, which in your case is the balloon-shaped icon that wrongly labels your road as the trail, then choose ‘Report a data problem’ from the pop-up menu (see screenshot ). Next, click ‘Wrong information’ followed by ‘Change name or other details’ . Select ‘Edit map location’ then click and drag the map to place the marker in a more appropriate spot for the trail. To finish, click Save followed by Submit. Once
