Design, Validation, and Comparative Analysis of a Private Bus Location Tracking Information System

Abstract

This paper addresses various aspects related to the design, development, and validation of a web-based information system that is intended to facilitate the management of a bus transportation service offered by a Jordanian university to its staff and students. Passengers can use this system to track bus trips to find out how far a desired bus is from a specific location. Also, they can know about arrivals and departures of buses managed using this system. Specifically, this work explores UI design, data structures, database design, system architecture, and development methods to realize the required features (e.g., user roles, bus setup, driver assignment, bus routes, bus schedules, and trip monitoring) in the proposed bus location tracking system. It also suggests using the free open-source API, rather than the proprietary Google Maps API, to develop the interactive maps. The system also records trip information and solicits passenger feedback to allow reviewing and analyzing that data to enhance the quality of service, reduce operation cost, and improve passenger satisfaction. The conducted comparative analysis results illustrate that the open-source API is accurate, fast, and responsive similar to the proprietary API. Furthermore, the user survey output confirms that the deployed system is easy to use, helpful, fast, responsive, and accurate.