Matatu Digital Hub: E-Hailing & Logistics
A comprehensive platform to digitize Kenya's matatu industry, covering route management, seat booking, mobile payments, and real-time operations across four distinct user roles.
The Four Pillars: User Role Workflows
A visual journey through the applications designed for each user on the platform.
1. Customer App (React Native)
Seamlessly find, book, and pay for seats. Features include route/fare visualization, **real-time matatu tracking**, and integrated mobile payments (MPESA).
2. Driver Dashboard (React Native)
GPS routing to the next stage, **live ride management**, and quick view of the day's targets and performance. Includes a SOS feature for emergency reporting.
3. Conductor App (React Native)
The **real-time manifest** and financial audit tool. Conductors verify booked seats, track cash payments, and reconcile sales against the system's ledger for transparent accounting.
4. Admin/Sacco Web Portal (Django)
Central control panel for fleet, route, and financial oversight. Manages driver/conductor registration, pricing, scheduling, and generates **Sacco/Owner remittance reports**.
Core Features and Technical Challenges Solved
- **Dynamic Pricing Model:** Implemented a system where fares adjust dynamically based on demand, time of day, and route congestion (using **Django** scheduled tasks).
- **Geospatial Tracking:** Used **PostGIS** integration with Django to handle complex route definitions, geofencing for designated stops, and real-time position updates for tracking.
- **Seat Allocation:** Developed a reliable, transactional system to prevent double-booking of seats, crucial for the high-frequency nature of matatu travel.
- **Audit & Reconciliation:** Automated the process of reconciling cash and mobile payments against the conductor's manifest, drastically reducing financial leakage for Sacco owners.
- **Local Payments:** Seamless integration with **MPESA API** for instant customer payment and automated daily payouts to drivers/owners.