A smart campus shuttle coordination system built with Django for the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Nigeria. The application connects students who need a shuttle urgently during the day or while coming or going for night class with drivers who may not have smartphones, using SMS notifications. It’s designed to make campus transportation more efficient and inclusive.
On most campuses, students often face:
Long waiting times for shuttles.
Poor coordination between drivers and passengers.
Drivers not knowing where passengers are located.
Technology gaps (many shuttle drivers only use button phones).
This project solves those problems by:
Grouping students by faculty/destination.
Sending SMS notifications to drivers when passengers are ready.
Allowing drivers to stay connected without needing smartphones.
(Future feature) Using speakers installed near shuttle pickup points to announce when a ride request is made.
Students can request a shuttle by selecting their faculty or destination.
System groups passengers going in the same direction to save time and resources.
Drivers are notified via Google SMS API, ensuring compatibility with even button phones.
Shuttle drivers
Student requests
Ride assignments
Future: Voice/speaker notifications near shuttle pickup points for real-time alerts.
Backend: Django (Python)
Database: PostgreSQL
Frontend: Django Templates (Bootstrap)
SMS Service: Google SMS API
Others: Gunicorn, Docker (optional for deployment)
git clone https://github.com/anulusdev/django-shuttle/.git cd django-shuttle
python -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate # for Linux/Mac venv\Scripts\activate # for Windows
pip install -r requirements.txt
Setup environment variables (create .env file)
SECRET_KEY=your-django-secret-key DEBUG=True DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/shuttle_db GOOGLE_SMS_API_KEY=your-google-sms-api-key
python manage.py migrate
Run the development server
python manage.py runserver
Visit the app, select your faculty, and request a shuttle.
Your request is queued and grouped with others going in the same direction.
Receive SMS notifications when passengers are waiting.
(Future) Speaker system at the bus-stop to announce ride readiness.
Login to manage drivers, requests, and trip records.
Reduces waiting time for students.
Optimizes shuttle usage (drivers only move when requests are ready).
Bridges the technology divide by supporting button phones.
Enhances communication between students and drivers.
Add speaker/voice notifications for drivers in shuttle areas.
Mobile app version for students.
Integration with cashless payments (e.g., campus wallet or Paystack).
AI-based ride grouping & routing optimization.
Ride history & analytics for admins.
Built for Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
Google SMS API for communication.
Django community for backend support.
Inspiration: Solving real transport challenges on campus.