Though it has taken a fairly long time, but finally, Google Maps has included real-time Australian traffic info.

It was today forwarded by Google and Suna that 'Google Maps Australia' has finally been incorporated with live traffic data. The traffic information, which will be updated every few minutes, is available for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Apart from this, it also includes updates for major roads and freeways heading through or past Wollongong, the NSW Central Coast, Geelong and the Sunshine Coast. The users will now await the future availability of the service in Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and other major centres.

The users can gain access to traffic data through the Google Maps website, as well as the Google Maps app that's supplied on various phones, like the Apple iPhone, a Palm Centro and the Nokia 6710 Navigator.

"As with the info that's supplied via Suna's traffic message channel (TMC) service to various GPS sat nav units, the company collects traffic data from various sources. Key amongst these are the cameras, road plates and traffic lights operated by state road agencies," informed a source.

It was in 2007 that Google Maps' traffic feature was first made available in a number of US cities.