Public Transport Tracking App Development: Cost and Features

Yes, we all know that waiting for the buses, trains and the metros are terrible. We also know how their delays can actually ruin our plan, but now is the time to find out the solution that could combat the above situations. Needless to say, mobile apps are the only medium that can help us to get rid of the above problems, and public transport tracking app development is not disappointing a bit. According to a recent study, an institute in Germany named Fraunhofer is working on the Infrastructure of transportation systems for making it smart.

They are developing an app named SMART-WAY that will monitor the public vehicles on a real-time basis so as to keep the traffic jams and conditions of waiting at a bay. Users will get the information related to the advent time of the vehicles, their fares, real-time location, etc with a one-stop sophisticated mobile solution. Interesting isn’t The development of apps such as SMART-WAY has given rise to the real-time public transport tracking app development.

Well, it is a new, toil but not an impossible task, in case you have identified an astute Mobile App Development Company. Now, this post will make your task easier as all the features, best attributes, technologies, and costs are outlined here. So, all you have to do is to read and discuss them with your app development partner and you will be certainly reserved with the best real-time public transportation app in the niche with just a couple of steps.

Overview of a Real-Time Train Monitoring App

There are several applications that function on the simple public transport tracking app business model. We make it a point that before we get into the development zone, we make sure that the best features of these applications are integrated into the product.

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CRIS: Center for Railway Information System – This is a real-time train monitoring app that is being introduced by the Indian Government for tracking the location, advent, and departure time of the trains along with the routes, destination, and the major stations covered.

National Train Enquiry System (NTES) Android App– Indian Railways Official app developed for the travelers for meeting their holiday and vacation requirements, official trips, tours, and daily commutes. All the information about the trains running and the real-time status is being delivered for all the Indian trains.

Features of Transportation App Development

• Identify the train and live station
• Save the train schedule
• Determine the trains between the stations
• Status of the canceled or the rescheduled trains
• Diverted Trains
• Manage the train status and schedules

The feature set is divided into various panels that focus on the particular type of user. We make it a point that the whole product is delivered in the best possible manner.

User Panel

Login: This is the basic section of the app where users will land on. They can register with the aid of social networking or the email account credentials.

Location map view: According to their destinations, users can view the location of buses, trains or the metros as per their own convenience.

Search nearby transport mode: Users can find out the most nearby transport modes resonating with their destinations. This way they can easily identify the mode of transportation to be chosen.

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Select the pickup and drop off location:  Users can select the pickup and the drop off locations and can accordingly check the buses, trains or the metros covering the particular route.

Find the nearby distance and the pickup time: Users can identify the time in which the buses, trains or the metros will be available from their nearby locations and check the pickup time as well.

Add /save favorite location: Users can save their favorite locations as well and can accordingly select for the required transportation modes with a convenient approach.

Estimated fare with each transportation mode: Under this section, users can check the estimated fare according to their destinations that will be incurred with the associated transportation modes.

Push notification: Users get the push notification before the arrival of the buses, metros when the destination is nearby, miles covered and much more.

Social Media integration: Users can share the information related to the buses, trains and the metros and their time schedules as well on social media as well.

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Ride history: Users can view the ride history as well. They can check the most cost-effective rides taken and can choose the appropriate transportation modes.

Know the arrival time: Under this section, users can get the arrival times of buses, trains, and metros and can check out the time required to reach the stop from your current location.

Check out the appropriate transportation modes and fare: This is a little advanced feature. Users can specify the number of passengers they are and can check out the appropriate transportation modes and the fare charges as well. It works great while you are getting to any event or a business meeting.

Rate Drivers: Users can rate the drivers as well. Owing to their driving behavior, time adherence and practices followed by him while being in traffic.

Admin Panel

Login: Well, this section is similar to the user app. Here, the admin makes his own new account with the authenticated user name and password. Profile Admin can manage his profile as well. He /She can update the professional information about the experiences gathered and expertise.

View on-line passengers: Under this section, users can view the online passengers that are looking for different transportation services and modes.

List of service providers: Well, all the services providers of the buses, trains, and metros are attuned with the app. The admin monitors them all along with their route information, number or vehicle working and all the related details.

Analyze the vehicle information: Under this section, admin can analyze the vehicle information that is attuned with the app in order to maintain transparency.

Subscription management:  All the packages that come with an advanced set of services such as finding out the number of seats available in the buses, trains, etc are managed by the admin.
Show estimated fare All the estimated fares enlisted according to the standards or transportation industries are managed and monitored by the admin.

Payment management: (if any) This is an optional feature of the admin panel. In case the app comes with the subscription packages or the in-app purchases, the payment models can be integrated for making the payments in a hassle-free manner.

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Send push notifications: All the notifications regarding the advent of the metros, buses or trains, estimated fares, etc are delivered to the users.

Monitor miles traveled and trip ID: Admin monitors the miles covered by the users and the Trip ID associated with each and every passenger so as to keep a transparent track.

Real-time vehicle tracking: Admin has the right of tracking all the vehicles on a real-time basis so as to deliver the right information to the users about the traffic congestion, about the arrival time and estimated time that will be required in reaching the destinations.

Update Vehicle status BUSY/AVAILABLE: This is a highly sophisticated feature of the public transport tracking app. According to the real-time statistics accumulated by the admin, he can list the availability of the seats and update the status to busy in case the vehicle is overloaded with passengers.

Control API keys: The admin manages all API keys. He has all the reserved rights to verify the user’s identity, and in case of security threats, he can change the keys to maintain upgrade security.

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Advance Features

Make your journey layout: Now since we are talking about some of the best features of a real-time public transport tracking app, then here is the foremost feature. With the help of the journey layout feature, users simply have to enter their pickup and drop off location. The public transport tracking app will calculate the miles to be covered and will select the most convenient transportation mode along with the fare charges. Users can simply opt for the best vehicle and they can reach the stop as suggested by the app, so as to miss the bus, train, and metro. They can even check the status of public transport such as trains before long journeys so as to be sure about the time and cost standards.

Create real-time graphs: With the help of this feature, users can check the real-time locations, time standards and the various details of the buses, trains and the metros. They can easily check the location of the desired vehicles depending on their destinations. These graphs display all the information related to the routes that are pre-defined. Therefore, according to their convenience, they can select the desired transportation standards as required.

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Notifications: Well this is a great feature of a real-time public transportation app and it keeps the users attuned with the app and the arrival time. All the notifications related to the arrival time, fares etc are delivered to the users. They are notified with the alerts as well when they are nearby to the drop off location. This is a great way of keeping the users engaged with the app and augments the app usability standards.

In-route alerts: Well, coming to a more advanced level here users will not only able to determine the location of the vehicles on a real-time basis but will be able to figure out the areas covered with maximum traffic, major disruptions in the route or can gather information about the intermediate buses or the metro that can help in reaching the destination under the less time frame. The users can get all the corresponding information from the public transport tracking app and can schedule the journey accordingly.

News and updates: Now this feature adds elegance to your real-time public transportation app. Under this feature all the news and updates that are concerned with the traveling, fare charges, undergoing constructions on the roads and about anything are informed to the users. This works great in keeping the users aware about all the ongoing and trending traveling norms and keeps them at a bay from taking the paths loaded with disruptions.

Geo-Location: Since we are talking about real-time location, the role of geolocation cannot be overlooked while developing a superior-quality real-time public transport-based mobile app. For identifying the correct location, Apple Maps and Google Maps can be used in the iOS and Android-based apps, respectively.

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Technologies Used in Public Transport Tracking App Development

Implementing the right technological standards while developing robustness and sophistication is a must.

Real-time public transport app. Making a real-time-based app is slightly different from other mainstream applications. The App developers need to be aware of the technicalities and about the system that works before investing in this genre. One of the major concerns that come with the development of such apps is that the app developers are required to integrate the APIs that are given by the main governmental authorities and the controlling sections of the public transportation affairs.

Here the app developers are required to access the database of all the public transportation vehicles that are embedded with the sensors and the connectors. So, it is necessary that you contact a highly sophisticated Mobile App Development Company for making such apps. Yes, these apps can actually remodel the way people used to wait for buses, metros, or trains.

The concept of real-time monitoring apps is now taking hold in high-crowded cities, and some of them such as San Francisco have started using such apps for analyzing traffic rates. Here, find out the basic technologies that are required for building a polished and excelled real-time public transportation app.

• For Push Notifications: APNS( Apple push notifications/FCM( Firebase cloud messaging)
• For SMS, Voice and Phone Verification: Twilio, Sinch, Nexmo
• For accepting payments: Braintree, Stripe & PayPal
• For Powerful Programming: GWT
• For Data Management: Datastax
• For everything related to emails: MailChimp Integration, Mandrill,
• The Universal Operating System Database: Debian, Macintosh, Ubuntu, CentOS, MongoDB, Hbase, Cassandra, Postgres
• Cloud Environment: AWS, and Google Real-Time Analytics
• Database Management: Hadoop, Spark, BigData, Apache Flink, Cisco, IBM MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express JS, Angular JS, Node.js)
  For making the functionality of the app quite fast and fluent

Protocols used for developing a real-time public transportation-based mobile app.

• File transfer protocol: FTP, HTTP/HTTPS
• For web services communication: TCP/IP
  For socket computing: RTMP
  For Security: SSL/TLS

Public Transport Tracking App Development Process

Once you have outlined the basic features for developing a real-time public transport app mobile app, it is time to process and initiate the correct development procedures. It is very imperative to roll out your app through the below procedures in order to make it a big success across the industrial niche.

Concept: Now before you jump with your app idea into this massive hyper-competitive market, it is important that you analyze your competitors and potential market audiences, their corresponding desires, market share, growth perspective so as to prepare the basic architecture of the app with clear ideation.

Analysis: Once all the features are listed down, it’s the time to indulge the business analysis teams so as to develop resonating wire-frames, SRS, etc. It is a great way to showcase the operability and function criteria and also models your app idea into reality.

Design: The app design can be said as the essence of your public transport tracking app. It should be designed in such a way that it offers a rich navigation experience for the users. The more beautiful your app is designed the more users it will encourage thus make sure that it is developed with utmost elegance and simplicity.

Development: This step can be said as the building block step, as it is in this step where the actual development of the app starts. Determine all the coding and programming strategies and find out all the associated platform concerns and the processes that are required for engineering a sophisticated mobile app.

Quality Assurance: Now, certainly this is very important. For sure the users will abandon your app in case it comes with plentiful glitches. It should be able to display the data required by the users with a seamless approach. Therefore, perform rigorous testing and apply all the other standard techniques as well, for delivering an optimized efficiency.

Launch: All the efforts that are put into while developing the app are finally showcased on the surface in this step. Hence, apply all the correct marketing skills in order to popularize your public transport tracking app. The app launching is a very crucial step and it solely determines your app success ratios and pays off your hard work.

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This is the simple methodology to develop the best mobile applications that can help you earn great revenue and loyal customers. It becomes quite easier for the end-users to use and interact with your product and help you earn the best results in no time.

Required Team Structure For Transportation App Development

Developing an impeccable real-time public transport Mobile app is very tedious and can be accomplished only when you hit upon the right and experienced and best mobile app development company. Therefore, for making your app certainly, you require a talented pool of skilled managers, mobile app developers, designers, and testers.

Well, identifying them is where the effort is required to be put into developing an extraordinary public transport tracking app. Here’s the role of each of the individuals in building an interesting solution.

Project Manager: He/she should be inculcated with extraordinary skills and must pose the ability to identify the best in the mobile app industry landscape. She/he should be capable of finding the most productive solutions to achieve your business goals and insights.

Developers: Android App Developer, iPhone App Developer, Back-end App Developer, etc. make it a point that the solution that is delivered to you is well-functioning and uses cutting-edge technology for the best products in the market.

Designers: Expert UX/UI designers, Graphic Designer ensure that the solution delivered is aesthetically ahead of others in the market and can hold customers to complete the required task.

Testers: A team of proficient and skilled QA experts for delivering a smooth and rich experience to users

The team ensures to deliver interesting solutions that make it easier for the target audience to accomplish the required action.

Public Transport Tracking App Development Cost

Well, the finalized price of an app entirely depends on the functionalities, size and the rates that are laid by the different app developers coming from the different physical locations. So, here find out a quick analysis for determining the exact and clarified real-time public transport tracking app development cost:

• A simple and reasonable real-time public transportation mobile app with minimum functionalities or an MVP will cost around $15,000-$18,000
• Developing a more advanced real-time public transport app with real-time functionalities can cost $25,000-$28,000
• Developing an app with the complete set of above-mentioned features and with a sound technology stack can cost around $38,000-$40,000. But then the chance of becoming your app a complete hit augments at a very impressive rate.

Conclusion

If you are looking forward to a strong public transport tracking app development, all you need to do is reach the right IT consulting team that can help you enter the market with future-ready and technologically strong solutions. Our team builds flexible solutions that can further be upscaled with changing trends and growing technology.

Frequently Asked Questions For Public Transportation Tracking App Development