TransitSpot

TransitSpot Media - Infographic

Inspiration

TransitSpot is an idea born out of the realization that public transportation in Indonesia is significantly underutilized. According to the World Bank, public transportation in 15 major cities of Indonesia has an alarmingly low usage rate, ranging from 5% to 20% of all trips. The primary deterrent preventing people from embracing Indonesian public transportation is its inherent inconvenience. It is truly disheartening because an increased adoption of public transportation has the potential to resolve numerous issues, such as alleviating traffic congestion, which presently contributes to approximately 5,000 premature deaths annually. Additionally, by reducing the number of private vehicles on the road, public transportation can effectively curtail 70% to 80% of total outdoor air pollutants. These benefits highlight only a fraction of the positive impacts that can be achieved by promoting the usage of public transportation in Indonesia. Moreover, it will also add more prosperity to drivers of public transport whose average salary is only 200 dollars per month.

What it does

TransitSpot boasts two key features that effectively tackle the primary inconveniences faced by customers of Indonesian public transportation: travel time inconsistency and cumbersome booking procedures. The first feature, known as the real-time on-demand booking feature, empowers users with access to up-to-the-minute data regarding public transport routes, estimated time of arrival, anticipated passenger occupancy (based on existing bookings), and actual passenger occupancy. This feature ensures that users can make informed decisions and better plan their journeys. Complementing this, the second feature encompasses scheduled travel bookings and route planning, enabling users to efficiently map out their trips to specific destinations based on the most cost-effective and optimal routes available. By incorporating these two features, TransitSpot significantly improves the overall user experience and addresses the fundamental challenges faced by Indonesian public transport customers.

How we built it

TransitSpot is developed using the Flutter mobile development framework, with future plans to expand it into a cross-platform solution. Currently, the application is available exclusively on the Android platform. To ensure seamless and dynamic data transmission to our users, we have built a separate backend using Django. By developing our own backend with Django, we are not being vendor locked-in and can change any 3rd party solution involved in the progress of growing TransitSpot. On the 3rd party solution, we are currently Google Directions and Google Maps API to provide real-time data on the prevailing traffic conditions which is decoupled from our services and can be migrated easily if necessary.

Challenges we ran into

Throughout the development process, we encountered various challenges, primarily centered around the technicalities of creating an optimal user experience and implementing lots of features we aimed to deliver, all while ensuring the project remained feasible within the limited timeframe. Despite these obstacles, we persevered, employing innovative strategies and efficient workflows to bring our vision to fruition.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are very happy to accomplish the MVP version of TransitSpot within a very short amount of time. Despite being given only one week, we have managed to create a fully functional mobile application that provides real-time traffic information, seamlessly simulating the interaction between users and drivers. Additionally, TransitSpot empowers users to conveniently schedule and book planned trips, offering them access to the most optimal routes available through public transportation. Our dedication and hard work have culminated in a user-friendly and efficient solution that enhances the overall commuting experience.

What we learned

Along the way, our team gained valuable insights into numerous possibilities for improving Indonesian public transportation. We immersed ourselves in the realm of mobile application development, acquiring extensive knowledge on building scalable applications using the most appropriate tools and technologies. This learning process has been transformative, equipping us with the expertise needed to drive impactful change in the realm of public transportation.

What's next for TransitSpot

While the existing version of TransitSpot serves as an MVP, we are dedicated to making substantial improvements to the application. Our focus will primarily revolve around enhancing the user interface (UI) to provide a visually appealing and intuitive experience, guided by valuable feedback from our customers to ensure optimal user experience (UX). Additionally, we plan to make TransitSpot available for iOS users. Furthermore, our roadmap includes the implementation of a plethora of additional features. These encompass seamless integration with multiple digital payment platforms, the introduction of our proprietary IoT device to streamline driver operations related to payments and bookings, and the utilization of AI algorithms to intelligently plan user trips, offering the most cost-effective routes available. Our commitment lies in delivering a comprehensive solution that surpasses expectations and revolutionizes the way people engage with public transportation.