Uniride - Dynamic Carpool System for University Students

UniRide is a dynamic carpooling platform specifically designed for university students to commute efficiently. It connects students with similar routes, enabling them to share rides, reduce travel costs, and foster a sustainable campus community.

🚀 Key Features

• Smart Route Matching: Automatically identifies and matches users with overlapping routes and compatible schedules.
• Dynamic Pricing Engine:
  • Distance-based Fares: Fair pricing based on kilometers traveled.
  • Campus Zone Flat-Rates: Affordable fixed pricing (₹20 for 2-wheelers, ₹35 for 4-wheelers) within a 2km radius of campus centers.
  • High Occupancy Incentives: 15% discount for rides with 3 or more passengers.
  • Progressive Discounts: Early bookers receive better rates to encourage early planning.
• Real-time Journey Tracking: Interactive map interface using Leaflet for tracking rides and sequences.
• Integrated Authentication: Secure login using Google OAuth 2.0.
• Role-based Experience: Separate workflows for offering rides (Drivers) and finding rides (Passengers).
• Dashboard & History: Comprehensive overview of active rides, saved routes, and user profile.

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: React (v18) with Vite
• Language: TypeScript
• Mapping: Leaflet & React-Leaflet
• Icons: Lucide React
• Authentication: @react-oauth/google
• Styling: Vanilla CSS (Custom layouts for Dashboard, Maps, and Auth)

Backend

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js (v5 Beta)
• Language: TypeScript
• Database: LowDB (Local JSON database for development)
• Auth: google-auth-library

📂 Project Structure

UniRide/
├── backend/                # Express server & Business logic
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── models/        # Ride, Route, and User types
│   │   ├── routes/        # API endpoints (users, rides, routes)
│   │   ├── MatchingService.ts # Route matching algorithm
│   │   ├── PricingService.ts  # Fare calculation engine
│   │   └── PickupSequenceService.ts # Optimal sequence logic
│   └── package.json
├── frontend/               # Vite + React application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/    # Reusable UI (Maps, Forms, etc.)
│   │   ├── pages/         # Application views (Dashboard, FindRide, etc.)
│   │   ├── services/      # API communication layer
│   │   └── styles/        # Feature-specific CSS
│   └── package.json
└── PRICING_GUIDE.md        # Detailed documentation of the pricing model

🚥 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• npm or yarn

1. Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install
# Create a .env file (if required) with GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID
npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:3000.

2. Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

The application will be available at http://localhost:5173.

💰 Pricing Model

UniRide uses a sophisticated pricing formula to ensure affordability:

• Base Fee: ₹10 (4-wheeler) / ₹5 (2-wheeler)
• Per Km: ₹4/km (4-wheeler) / ₹2.5/km (2-wheeler)
• Incentive: 15% discount for 3+ passengers.
• Campus Zone: Flat ₹35 (car) / ₹20 (bike) for intra-campus trips.

For more details, refer to the PRICING_GUIDE.md.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the ISC License.