Public Transport Tracking App Development – Cost and Features

App development is on the rise to provide ease and comfort to any business’s end users and staff. The transportation business is no different in easing users with booking, reservations, and tracking vehicles or a route. The reason for developing a public transport tracking app may vary between organizations. One thing is sure it improves customer service, promotes a better image, removes paperwork, simplifies fleet management, and allows tracking vehicles in real-time. If you are planning to get it developed, read this post to find its cost and features.

Cost of developing a Public Transport App

There is no perfect method to calculate the cost of developing an app for public transport. It depends on several factors. It starts with the business requirements, as every business is different. Businesses vary in nature, scale, and form.

A public transport organization may be limited to a town or expanded nationwide. It may be complete or partially digital, as there are certain constraints when dealing with the public. For example, suppose the target audience is not well-versed in mobiles and the latest gadgets. In that case, the organization cannot expect them to reserve seats or tickets using their mobile or web-based application. In such a scenario, the app is confined to the driver and admin panel, where user accounts are ignored.

– Bespoke or off-the-shelf

Some institutions pursue complete digital, paperless solutions for their operations. To get such a solution, you can have two options to look for. The first one is an off-the-shelf solution like Ontrack App that is built with basic features and allows further customization. It may come at a nominal cost as you need to spend on customization. The second one is getting a bespoke solution built exactly what you need. Depending on the business and system complications, it may cost as low as $30,000 or as higher as $100,000.

– Location where you are based

The cost may vary between states and countries. It depends on your digital solutions partners, expertise, and portfolio. You should include the cost of updating, testing, troubleshooting, customization, maintenance, marketing, etc.

– Backend and front-end development

Public transport tracking app development cost has multiple sections. It may start with the development of the backend and front end. The back end is the user interface with which your staff and drivers interact. However, the front end is designed for the intended users, like customers, consumers, and website visitors. The more you refine it, the more you have to pay.

– Technology Selection

Another major factor is the selection of technology or platform you select. Done are the days when people used desktop technologies for enterprise resource planning and management. Cloud technology is on the rise and the need of the hour. You may also need to consider developing a public transport tracking app for android and iOS users. If it applies to your business model, do include its cost too.

Features of Public Transport Tracking App

The development of a public transport tracking application depends on its purpose and goal. For a small company or organization, a basic version may suffice to manage a fleet of vehicles and a bunch of employees.

As the organization grows in sales and fleet, it has to include advanced features. This post will reveal the basic and advanced features of a delivery management App so you can differentiate between the two and find which one you need at the initial stage of business.

– Basic Features

User Panel – Customer Accounts – It allows users to sign up for an account and use the same page for signing in. they are free to select the type of vehicle or the available time slots to plan their commute. They can find the fare estimates and track journeys as well.

Driver Panel – Captain’s Dashboard – It allows the driving crew to get details about the vehicle, route, and navigation and access many other useful options. There is also a notification panel or inbox to ensure fast communication between drivers, admin, and users.

Admin Panel – Manager’s Console – It is a dashboard to equip system managers and administrators with complete control. They are provided with different sections to manage drivers, routes, users, a fleet of vehicles, billing and payment, route requests or suggestions. They can also find vehicle updates to monitor fuel consumption and vehicle fitness. They can use push notifications to convey news and updates to users and drivers.

– Advanced Features

In-App Chat – A Reliable delivery management system needs a fast communication medium in an inbox. Admin can send messages in bulk to users about traffic and route updates. Fleet managers can also ensure quick communication with drivers via inboxes. A chatbot can suffice users’ needs with pre-programmed answers to their common queries.

Route Management – A public transport company can create routes better to optimize fuel efficiency, vehicle life, and profitability. The app must bring insights and use data to help managers better optimize the routes, include more areas, or devise a dedicated fleet for the most requested route.

Commute Reports – Remember the term we see on public transport, “How am I driving.” Advanced transport management system features keep adding a driver’s log that gets reported in real-time. The managers can keep an eye on a journey to avoid the untoward situation.

Vehicle Updates – Managers must know the condition of vehicles and their fuel consumption average while sittings miles away from the fleet. A public transport company has to manage stations, workshops, and vehicle inventory in other cities and regions.

Multi-lingual support – The app can be developed in multiple languages if the community includes people from different ethnicities.

Suggests Gas Station – During the commute, the drivers may forget to fill tanks in time, so they must get fuel updates and the nearest gas stations on their route.

Drivers’ Safety – It must be the top priority while developing an app tracking public transport. They must be reminded to follow best practices while driving on the road, take rest and get adequate sleep, avoid using smartphones, etc.

Final words

Public transport tracking app development may cost according to your business model. It is a small business; getting an off-the-shelf solution can save a lot. As you expand or plan to start big, an expensive bespoke solution is required. However, you can still try different ways to keep the development cost low while retaining the higher quality work.