Technology is participating in every lifestyle sector, providing a new way of living. With the help of technology, every type of work can be done within a few clicks. The transport industry is also revolutionized by technology, and we can spot significant changes in the past few years. It saves time for people and avoids long queues to claim tickets for their next trip. And with this approach, an online bus ticket booking app stands helpful.
Generally, a bus ticket booking app is an online platform that works on a centralized network. It provides convenience to both the bus driver and the user. So here in this blog, we will talk about the cost of building a bus ticket booking platform and its key features. Sit tight because you are about to take a wonderful bus ride through this blog.
Future Of The Travel & Tourism Industry
Let’s estimate the future of travel & tourism with some futuristic stats.
- The travel & tourism industry is projected to have 310.0 million new users between 2023 - 2027.
- The travel industry is rising at a CAGR of 16.8% per annum.
- It is predicted that there will be 2.2 billion new registrations of users before the end of 2027.
So, the above-mentioned stats prove that the investment in a bus ticket booking app is secure and profitable.
Business Benefits Of Bus Ticket Booking App
Having an online ticket booking app for buses comes with several business benefits. Here, we’ve mentioned a few:
Increase Revenue
Offering a user-friendly platform for booking bus tickets can help you attract more customers and boost your earnings. By utilizing an app, customers can easily search for available routes and book tickets within seconds, all from the comfort of their smartphones.
Enhanced Customer Experience
An app for booking bus tickets can greatly improve the customer experience by eliminating the need for long queues or phone calls to book tickets. With the app, customers can effortlessly view available seats, select their preferred travel time and date, and complete secure online payments from their mobile devices.
Brand Awareness
A bus ticket booking app can boost brand visibility and customer loyalty. A user-friendly design creates a positive impression and encourages customers to choose your services over competitors.
Integration With Other Systems
A bus ticket booking app can integrate with payment gateways, CRM tools, and third-party services for seamless operations, efficient payment processing, and improved customer service.
Revenue-Making Model For Bus Ticket Booking App
Suppose you now have your app and are ready to grow your business, so what should be the money-making strategies you need to choose? Here are the top revenue strategies you can apply in your app for maximum sales:
Earn Commission
You will be earning a commission on each ticket sold through your platform. This can be a fixed percentage over the ticket or a flat fee on every transaction.
Advertising
The app can also help generate income by promoting ads for any other organization. By partnering with organizations like hotels, restaurants, and cafes, you can post their banner on your platform in return for an amount.
Subscription
You can offer advanced features via a subscription model exclusively for travelers and drivers. It can be a hack for them to do their work without waiting. It can include features like early access, discount fare, and priority customer boarding.
Affiliate Marketing
Collaborate with other travel aggregators, such as flight and train bookings. Earn a referral amount on each purchase made through your platform by the user.
Core Features Of A Bus Ticket Booking App
Build A Bus Ticket Booking App With Elite Features With Hyperlocal Cloud
Core Features Of A Bus Ticket Booking App
Features in a bus ticketing app need to be top-tier and advanced. An app with the latest features can help you beat the competition. So, we have classified the features into three segments: customer app, driver app, and admin panel. Let’s explore them all:
Customer App
We implement features for customers to easily use, book, and travel through the app. Here is the list:
Registration/Login
Users can log in and sign up with their information, like name, location, email, contact number, and number of guests.
Multiple Payment Options
Users can pay in multiple modes like Google Pay, Amazon Pay, net banking, credit/debit card, and e-wallet.
Search & Filter
It allows users to search buses by filtering with location, destination, date ranges, stops, and fare.
Connect With Customer Support
This feature helps a user connect with a customer support executive 24×7 regarding queries and doubts.
Ticket Cancellation
The ticket cancellation feature provides liberty to users to terminate their travel at any time before the departure.
Request Refund
Users can request a full refund in case of ticket cancellation due to emergency causes.
Options To Choose Ticket Type
It allows users to book seats for an infant, handicapped, pregnant woman, and many more.
Add Money To E-Wallet
It will let users add money to the app’s e-wallet and plan their journey.
Push Notifications
The push notification feature helps users get updates regarding their booking, departure time, and payment/refund status.
Write Review & Feedback
After completing the journey, the app will ask users to write about their experience and suggest any improvement.
Driver App
To ensure seamless business operations, we embed first-grade features for drivers on the app, which help them drive safely and on time.
Ticket Validation
Drivers can validate the customer’s ticket by scanning the generated QR code on the app.
Booking Notification & Alert
It lets drivers know about upcoming travel destinations with the number of passengers and distance.
Trip Summary
Drivers can view their previous trips with important information like the number of passengers, distance covered, followed route, and many more.
Live Map
A bus driver can track, view, and follow the indicated path by the inbuilt map towards their source destination.
Accept and Reject Orders
Depending on seat availability and other factors, drivers can accept and reject the upcoming booking.
Calendar
This feature allows drivers to look into the upcoming booking and plan accordingly.
Manage Bus Routes
It will let drivers manually change the destination’s route on the app before departure.
Shortcuts
The inbuilt map feature will suggest the shortest route to travel to the destination with distance and ETAs.
Call & Message
A driver is free to connect with both the admin and the user at any time via call and message.
Admin Panel
An admin is the controller of their business, so keeping this thought in mind, we create exclusive features for admin that help them perform various tasks in the app:
Safe Login
Admins are able to log in with an encrypted username and password on the app.
Professional Dashboard
A professional dashboard feature helps admins track sales, monitor business, and take control of their business.
Manage Users
It allows admins to add or delete users from the application easily.
CRM Integration
A content resource management system helps admins to maintain required changes on the platform. It doesn’t require any technical knowledge.
Live Bus Tracking
The live bus tracking feature shows live locations of operating buses in the area with the help of Google Maps API.
Create Loyalty Program
It will let admins create loyalty programs for their regular customers, like discounts, vouchers, etc.
Manage Feedback
Admins can view and reply to the feedback provided by customers. It can also help in improving business.
Ticket Management
The ticket management feature gives power to the admin to recall and terminate any booking at any time.
Call & Support
Admins can connect with users and admins at any time regarding booking queries.
Manage Refund And Billings
It helps admins to initiate or cancel a customer’s refund. It also provides billing details with transaction ID and customer payment mode.
Generate Invoice
Admins can generate overall invoices on behalf of business performance. It includes sales, number of registered users, and many more. It can be downloaded in PDF format.
Advanced Features Of A Bus Ticket Booking App System
Advanced features can increase your application's value among users and help you gain a competitive edge. Here are some advanced features we provide to our clients in a bus ticket booking system:
SOS Button
The SOS button on the app protects drivers from accidents and helps in an emergency during travel. Pressing this button will instantly alarm the nearby service center, depending on the type of emergency.
Trip Planner
The trip planner feature is helpful for a traveler because it helps them plan their trip easily. A traveler needs to enter their travel details like date, destination, and days of stay; then the app will automatically suggest the best routes, available buses, and tour packages with payment details.
Marketing & Promotional Tools
This app's functionality impressively engages users with frequent customer loyalty programs, coupons, and special offers. It can also strengthen your user base and maintain high customer retention.
Multiple Language Support
If you are targeting a large user base, this is a must-have feature for your bus ticket booking app. This feature helps users navigate the app and book in their preferred language. Also, it will let a user change the language of the entire application based on their preference.
Get A Proper Guide On Bus Ticket Booking App Development Cost From Hyperlocal Cloud
Key Players Of Bus Ticket Booking App
Let's examine the top bus ticket booking apps in sectors that have established their name in this field.
| Name | Founded | Revenue | Headquarter |
| Wanderu | 2012 | $100 M | Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Amtrak | 1971 | $2,834 M | Washington, D.C., US |
| Greyhound | 1914 | $1.61 billion | Dallas, Texas, US |
How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Bus Ticket Booking App?
A full-stack bus ticket booking app can cost around $10,000 - $20,000; it can take about 5 - 7 days to build an app with our white-label bus reservation system. Remember, the final cost can increase and decrease depending on various factors. Let’s learn it thoroughly:
Factors That Affect Bus Ticket Booking App Development Cost
Here are the components that can fluctuate the app development cost:
App’s Size
The development cost depends on the size of the app. If it's a single-platform app, then it won’t require several integrations, whereas a multi-platform application requires animations, professional designs, and some paid API integrations that can raise the development cost.
Operating System
Generally, an app performs on two platforms primarily; Android and iOS. But if you want a travel app that can run on both platforms, that can increase the cost of development. A hybrid app requires multiple technologies to make it friendly for both operating systems.
Company’s Location & Structure
The bus ticket booking app development cost also depends on the company’s size. There would be different pricing structures for large-scale and small-scale companies. So, it is important to choose a company after verifying its location and monetary structure.
Functionalities & Features
Building an application for internal use can be less expensive. But if you are targeting a wider audience and want to rise against your competitors, then it is important to have a top-notch feature app with aesthetic functionalities. The demand for custom features in the bus ticket booking app can also increase the development cost.
Tech Stack Required To Build A Bus Ticket Booking App
A professional team with dynamic tech stack knowledge is needed to accomplish the task. Here are the segments that can be used for booking app development for buses:
| Functionality | Technology |
| Front End Development | HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript |
| Back End Development | Java, PHP, Python, Ruby and NodeJS |
| Database | MongoDB, SQL, Scala, Rust, and Cobol |
| Mobile app | React Native, Flutter, Objective-C and Swift |
| Hosting | Amazon EC2 |
| Notification | Twilio, Push.Io, Firebase |
| Payments | Braintree, PayPal, Cassandra |
| Cloud Environment | AWS, Google, Azure |
| Content Delivery Network | Cloud flare, Amazon Cloud Front |
| Map/Navigation | Google Maps, Cell-ID, Geofencing |
| APIs (Tentative) | Social Media and Gmail |
| Caching | OkHttp, URL Session, and Alamoire |
| OTP Verifications | Nexmo, Twilio |
Bottom Line
We hope you got proper guidance on the bus ticket booking app development cost and its key features. There are numerous opportunities for you to create your own bus ticket booking app and gain a significant edge in the market. In order to achieve success, it is essential to seek assistance from professional app developers and a mobile app development company with experience in similar projects. Hyperlocal Cloud has successfully developed several mobile apps for clients worldwide. If you intend to launch a bus or train ticket booking app, do not hesitate to contact our team.
