Ride sharing made easier through app

Ride sharing made easier through app

If you are an avid traveller, don’t forget to check in Google play store. You will see a new application - Ride Sharing.
A freelance mobile application developer Tshewang Rinzin, 24, has come up with the to will facilitate travellers to find and share rides.
Recently, the Swiss Agency for Development (SDC) and the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) organised an Open Mobile Phone App Development Competition. Tshewang Rinizin’s came second in the business and public service category. He won Nu. 75,000 in prize.
There were 18 app developers who took part in the competition of which three were female.
There are around 15 mobile apps registered with the G2C office in the country.
Tshewang said he had worked hard to complete the project within 45 days. “I worked 16 hours every day over one and half month to complete the app.” He added that he still have many features to be included in the app to provide better service to the users.
Tshewang with excitement gave a brief explanation about the “Ride Sharing App”. He said that this app will allow travellers with cars to find passengers. Basically, posting their estimated departure times and destinations, arrival date and times, stopovers and the number of vacant seats available.
He further said that passengers can search for rides by entering their starting and end point of travel. The passenger and the driver can then communicate and agree on meeting points to pickup and discuss using the messaging feature.
The interesting thing about this app will create the best rides, suggest a list from which the passenger can view the ratings of the driver who is offering the ride, choose the driver and book the ride.
Drivers will get notification of the booking and they can use messaging feature to discuss and agree on the terms of sharing the ride. The app is included with Google Maps to show the routes, starting points, stopovers and end points.
“The Ride Sharing app is a ride system that allows travellers to find a travel based on proximity, destination and travel route, as well as schedules and preferences,” said Tshewang. He added that the feature would enable in forming a trusted community of drivers and passengers.
Meanwhile, in the entertainment and information category, Sonam Tobgay, an ICT officer won the award for his app, “Bhutanese Movie Database” (BMDb) app. The BMDb app is a guide for movie in the country. This app will keep moviegoers updated. Linked with YouTube, the app provides trailers of old, new and upcoming movies. It also allows users to rate and review movies.
“The quality of all apps in the competition goes to show the high level of innovation of Bhutanese developers,” said the SDC Director of cooperation during the award ceremony.
It was the second mobile phone app development competition supported by SDC in Bhutan.