UniDash: student-to-student campus ride service

UniDash is an intelligent mobile app designed to provide a safe, affordable, and convenient experience for both drivers and passengers. Students often pay high fares when using commercial ride-hailing apps, and sometimes raise safety concerns, as they may have to travel with unknown drivers, which can lead to discomfort and potential risk. Currently, there is no centralised platform connecting students who offer and seek affordable transportation services. Hence, many rely on informal communication through instant messaging apps or the university’s confession pages, which causes inefficiency and lacks proper tracking and scheduling. Therefore, UniDash aims to offer affordable and convenient rides to students and implement a verification standard for safety purposes. The verification system enhances the sense of community and safety, as students know they are only interacting with peers from the same institution. The app employs a client-server architecture, where the mobile application itself serves as the client and the communication medium to the centralized cloud server, which processes requests and manages data. It also supports real-time communication via WebSocket or push notification services to ensure immediate updates for both passengers and drivers, which builds trust and enhances the sense of security among users. The uniqueness of UniDash lies in its exclusive focus on the student community. Students who need a ride can browse available drivers, compare prices, and book a ride that suits their needs. Contributing to decision support, UniDash helps students make better ride choices based on available data. Before accepting or offering a ride, students can view the driver's profile, ratings, ride histories, and passengers’ reviews. Through its smart technology and thoughtful design, UniDash stands out as a meaningful and innovative solution in the campus transportation landscape.