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About Waze EAC

Welcome to Wazeopedia EAC! This guide is here for people wanting to edit the map in East African Community using Waze Map Editor (WME)

You will find in these pages information about how to edit Waze in the specific situation of EAC countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Before starting editing in a new country, it's always better to first get in touch with the local community. In the EAC countries, we communicate via the following channel:

• Discord Channel (EAC)

Basics

KISS Principle

What is this KISS all about? Keep It Stupid Simple: Meaning: "As simple as possible, as complex as necessary".

In short statementsː

• Simplify the map and segments as far as possible
• Make situations only as complex as needed
• Use segments only for routing, not for something like lane assistance.
• Segments doesn't have to have the exact metres of paved road.

There is one important thing to always keep in mind when you edit the map: Waze is not a topographic map, but a car navigation system! Over the years, the community discovered ways to edit the map in a way that maximizes navigation. Waze relies on a map’s display suitable for a small smart-phone screen. It needs a map that accurately instructs where cars can drive, is simple and clear, and uses real time traffic data bound to the parts on the map. Therefore, we follow the three basic principles "Usability, Simplicity, & Retention"; Make it useful, keep it as simple as possible.

Points, Ranks and Roles

Waze uses a point system to track use of the the Waze client application, and the Waze Map Editor. Different actions give you different numbers of points. Your point total is compared to the point totals of other Waze users to determine your Waze rank. Wazers who edit the map also have an edit count and an editor rank.

Experienced editors may also get a specific role within the community: Area Manager (AM), State Manager (SM)(Not applicable in EAC), Country Manager (CM), Local Champion (LC), Global Champion (GC). As a new editor, you might also get the help of a Mentor.

Find more information about Points, Ranks and Roles here.

Start with edition

Before starting with the edition of Waze's map, have a look the ressources for new editors

Edition in EAC

Now that you have seen the tutorials for new editors, let's talk about some particularities and norms we use for editing in EAC.

General informations

Each country has its own specificities: road organisation is not the same everywhere, type of places might differ, geography and natural feature are different. It is specially true if you usually edit in Europe or the US and start editing in East Africa.

That's why, beside the general editing rules that are used around the world by all Waze editors, each local community need to set some specific rules, so the map edition stays coherent with the local reality.

Road editing

The road network in East Africa is not the same as it is in other part of the world. For example, there is very few freeways as you may know in countries in Europe or North America. Also, most of the minor roads, or even some majors, are not paved. So some rules have been set for the classification of the different roads with the EAC specificities.

Before editing the EAC road network, we encourage you to read the following pages:

• Road network
• Road classification
• Road editing
• Road closures
• Permanent hazards (coming soon)

Place editing

Places are searchable destinations in the Waze map, just like the "Points of Interest" found in other maps and GPS devices.

All Google Maps places are also available for search in Waze, but places can also be added from the client by wazers on their way, or from the Waze Map Editor (WME). The main advantage of mapping places on Waze, is the ability to set details for theses places on WME to ease the navigation, (Entry points , opening hours, details,...)

Ressources for editing places in the EAC can be found here:

• Place editing

Gas Station

Parking Lots

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Last edited by Kstor 80 on 8/02/2024