Thapar Campus Mobility System

Redefining Campus Travel with Intelligent Pooling.

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Campus Ride – Smart E-Rickshaw Pooling System

A modern mobility platform designed for university campuses

University campuses often experience mobility challenges such as long walking distances between academic blocks, uncertainty in e-rickshaw availability, safety concerns, and the absence of a structured pooling system. Campus Ride was conceptualized to address these issues by providing a unified, technology-driven mobility solution that feels as seamless as modern ride-hailing platforms, but tailored specifically for students, drivers, and administrators.

How We Built It

Campus Ride was developed following a structured Software Engineering lifecycle (SRS → DFD → UML → Development → Testing → Deployment).

Frontend Technologies

  • React (Vite + TypeScript)
  • Tailwind CSS and ShadCN UI
  • Zustand for global state management
  • Framer Motion for refined UI transitions
  • Leaflet JS for map rendering and routing

Backend & Authentication

  • Firebase Authentication
  • Firebase Firestore for user metadata, ride records, driver details, and locations

Deployment

  • Vercel for production hosting

The project uses a modular and scalable folder structure:

src/ ├── components/ (MapPanel, UI components) ├── pages/ │ ├── auth/ (Student, Driver, Admin authentication) │ ├── StudentDashboard.tsx │ ├── DriverDashboard.tsx │ └── AdminDashboard.tsx ├── store/ (Zustand global state, AuthContext) ├── lib/ (firebase.ts configuration) ├── App.tsx └── main.tsx

What the System Does

Student Module

  • Secure sign-up / sign-in using Firebase
  • Personalized dashboard displaying name, roll number, and email
  • Ride booking with pickup, drop, time preference, and ride type (pool or solo)
  • Real-time ride status and assignment
  • Live map view showing driver's route
  • OTP-based boarding verification
  • Ride history with repeat-booking option
  • Monthly mobility statistics (rides, wait time, savings, pooling efficiency)

Driver Module

  • Secure authentication
  • Manage availability
  • View incoming ride requests
  • Access student pickup details
  • OTP validation before ride start
  • Route overview and trip updates
  • Daily summary and performance metrics

Admin Module

  • Authentication for administrators
  • Seed demo data (drivers, hotspots, rides)
  • View student and driver lists
  • Reset or reinitialize the simulation environment
  • Administrative controls for presentation mode

What We Learned

  • Implementing robust Firebase role-based authentication
  • Designing scalable React architectures with centralized state management
  • Developing user-centric mobility flows inspired by real-world ride-sharing systems
  • Building dynamic map interfaces and route visualizations
  • Preparing comprehensive SE documentation (SRS, UML, DFDs, test cases)
  • Ensuring smooth CI/CD with Vercel deployment

Challenges

  • Designing a realistic but simulation-safe ride workflow
  • Synchronizing map markers, driver movement, and ride state
  • Creating an OTP mechanism that integrates seamlessly into the UI
  • Balancing real-time behavior with Firebase’s data model
  • Keeping demo mode isolated from actual student experience
  • Maintaining UI consistency across three distinct role-based dashboards

Accomplishments

  • A complete, role-based campus mobility platform ready for demonstrations
  • A refined UI offering a near-production ride booking experience
  • OTP verification and pooling workflows implemented accurately
  • Interactive mapping with location markers and simulated driver movement
  • Complete Software Engineering documentation supporting the application
  • Reliable deployment with a clean development pipeline

Future Improvements

  • Real GPS tracking for drivers
  • ML-based intelligent pooling suggestions
  • Digital wallet and fare payment system
  • Emergency safety features (panic button, alerts)
  • QR code boarding verification
  • Push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging
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