Tracko

Tracko is a real-time college bus tracking web app that lets students see live bus locations, ETAs, and routes, while admins manage buses and drivers using secure GPS and QR-based tracking.

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Tracko — College Bus Tracking Prototype

Inspiration

Waiting for college buses often means guessing — Is the bus late? Has it already passed? There is usually no real-time information available. While apps like Where Is My Train solve this problem for trains, college buses are still unmanaged. We built Tracko to explore how a simple, campus-focused bus tracking system could work.

What it does

Tracko is a prototype web application that demonstrates the core idea of college bus tracking.

Students can:

  • Select their boarding stop
  • View buses that pass through that stop
  • See a bus route and movement on a map
  • View estimated arrival times (ETA)

Drivers can:

  • Start and end a trip
  • Share GPS-based location (simulated / limited)
  • Verify themselves using a QR code + PIN

Admins can:

  • Add buses, drivers, and stops
  • View bus routes
  • Track one or multiple buses on a map

How we built it

Tracko is designed as a full-stack prototype:

  • Frontend: Web interface for students, drivers, and admins
  • Backend: Handles authentication, routes, and location data
  • Maps: Used to visualize routes and bus movement

We focused on system design, user flow, and feasibility, rather than full production deployment.

ETA logic (Prototype)

Estimated arrival time is calculated using distance and speed.

Inline example: The basic idea is ( \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}} ).

Displayed formula used in the prototype:

                          ETA = d/v

Where:

  • d = distance between bus and stop
  • v = average speed

This is a simplified model suitable for a prototype.

Challenges we ran into

  • Understanding how real-time tracking systems are structured
  • Deciding what to simulate vs implement within hackathon time
  • Designing clean flows for three different user roles
  • Working with maps and location data for the first time

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Turning a real college problem into a working prototype
  • Designing a complete system architecture
  • Implementing role-based flows (student, driver, admin)
  • Visualizing bus movement on a map

What we learned

  • How real-time systems are designed conceptually
  • How frontend and backend communicate
  • Why security matters even in small systems
  • How to scope a project realistically for a hackathon

What's next for Tracko

  • Real-time GPS integration
  • More accurate ETA calculation
  • Notifications for nearby buses
  • Mobile-friendly or app-based version
  • Testing with real users on campus

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