Don’t know the route to the latest mall? Worried about getting stuck in a jam on the way to an appointment? Need to reach a petrol pump fast? Let GPS (global positioning system) take over.

The satellite-aided vehicle navigation system has finally reached Calcutta. A gadget fitted to your car console can guide you to your destination, providing satellite-aided, real-time turn-by-turn voice directions.

“We have already fitted over 30 cars with the GPS device in just two days, and many more are in queue,” says Vinay Daga of Glix.

The Alipore car makeover agency is the “sole distributor” in Calcutta of GPS service provider MapmyIndia and the Delphi NAV200 portable system, imported from the US. The pocket-pinch is Rs 20,000 and the same device can be used in different vehicles.

Besides offering the driver a “comprehensive and accurate” digital map of the city, with the shortest possible route to the destination charted out on the 3.5-inch touch screen monitor, the GPS device also locates the nearest public utility services and even plays movies, music, photos and games.

“It’s so much more convenient, since often you have an address, but don’t know where it is. With the GPS device, all you do is punch in the street name and the monitor will guide you to the spot. It also alerts you of a disruption ahead and gives you an alternative route,” says 23-year-old stockbroker Vishal Agarwal, who has installed the device in his car.

MapmyIndia has developed its own navigable maps for the service.

The company is partnering with automobile companies, handset and personal navigation device manufacturers, software providers, mobile operators, Internet portals and retail and distribution networks of cars, car accessories and consumer electronic products to provide the service.

“The next couple of years will see a huge increase in adoption of GPS-based navigation devices and services. We will continue to provide comprehensive and high-quality maps to drive this industry,” promises Rakesh Verma, the managing director of MapmyIndia. The rest of the state will be incorporated later and one can drive from Calcutta to Darjeeling on GPS navigation.

If the driver takes a wrong turn, the voice aid (soon in Hindi too) sounds a warning, while prior intimation is given of any turns, with the precise distance, to the metre. If the driver is looking for a specific service or utility he/she simply needs to feed it on the screen.

“The device could prove to be a boon for outstation IT professionals migrating to Calcutta,” adds Daga.