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It was billed as a time saver for drivers when it opened earlier this year. The $288 million Majura Parkway opened to drivers in April, and since then the 11.5-kilometre road which replaced the existing Majura Road has helped to almost halve travel times. But seven months after its unveiling, the major arterial road connecting Fyshwick and Gungahlin is yet to show up on iPhone maps and some GPS systems. Those using the map application on iPhones are instead shown the existing Monaro Highway linking to the old Majura Road intersection. Drivers using the new parkway are instead seen on iPhone maps seemingly driving through fields, and those using turn-by-turn navigation being diverted to longer routes. However, the glitch does not affect those using Google Maps or map applications on Android phones, which has had the Majura Parkway for several months. Apple declined to comment when asked about the mapping error. However, Professor of Geodesy and Navigation at the University of New South Wales Chris Rizos said there was a reason why new roads were updated to certain maps faster than others. "The main players like Apple and Google and Uber, they license the mapping data from different sources," he said. "Some like Google do their own mapping where they drive around with a van, but it's easier to go to different [mapping] data bases." Professor Rizos said while it can take several months for new roads to be added to GPS systems and map applications, it's unusual for such a long delay for a major road like the Majura Parkway. "I'm surprised that in Canberra you wouldn't have that detail on Apple maps," he said. "You would generally expect a six-month update cycle in the major cities." It is not known when the next major update is expected for Australian cities on iPhone maps. While Professor Rizos said technology was improving on identifying new roads for mapping systems, it will be some time before people see instant updates. "There's a real push at the moment from map providers," he said. "However, it's not going to be that we discover a new road and there's real-time updates. It doesn't work like that."

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