In Kenya, many students in boarding schools travel long distances home at the end of school terms using booked buses. As phones are not allowed in schools, parents often book buses for the students through teachers. Students then travel alone, making it difficult for parents to know where the bus is, whether the child has boarded safely, or the expected arrival time.
The current transport system lacks:
- Real-time visibility of bus location
- Transparent communication between drivers, schools, and parents
- Accountability mechanisms to confirm student boarding and arrival
This gap causes anxiety for parents and safety risks for students, especially during long journeys.
A web-based bus tracking and student transport monitoring system that enables:
- Drivers to share live bus location automatically
- Parents to track their child’s bus in real time
- Student check-ins to confirm boarding and arrival
- Frontend: React, LeafletJS, OpenStreetMap API
- Backend: Node.js, Express.js
- Database: MongoDB
- Deployment: Render
The system uses the MERN stack for seamless integration, with OpenStreetMap and LeafletJS to display dynamic bus locations on maps.
Try it out here: https://megatrans.onrender.com/
- Real-time bus location updates
- Student check-ins for boarding and arrival
- Role-based views for Drivers, Parents, and Admins/Schools
- Map routing using OpenStreetMap
- Use WebSockets for live location updates instead of polling
- Use WebSockets for instant notifications
- Calculate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) based on remaining route
- Integrate email, SMS, or WhatsApp notifications
- Real-time location tracking: Updating bus positions dynamically was tricky.
- Map integration: Some routes looked unrealistic in OpenStreetMap routing.
- Authentication & Role-based views: Implementing different views for Drivers, Parents, and Admins required careful handling.
- Integrating OpenStreetMap and LeafletJS for dynamic maps
- Handling live location services in a web app
- Managing role-based authentication in MERN stack
Mega Trans addresses the safety and accountability gap in student transportation in Kenyan boarding schools. Students often travel long distances alone, leaving parents anxious about their safety.
This system allows:
- Drivers to share live bus locations and mark student boarding/arrival
- Parents to monitor their child’s bus in real time
- Schools/Admins to oversee all buses and routes
It aligns with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by improving safety, trust, and accountability.
git clone https://github.com/wendywendo/MegaTrans.git
cd MegaTranscd server
npm installMONGO_URI=<your_mongodb_connection_string>
SECRET_KEY=<your_jwt_secret>
SECRET_KEYcan be any random string.
npm run devServer runs at: http://localhost:8000
cd ../client
npm installnpm startFrontend runs at: http://localhost:3000