What is a transportation app?
A transportation application is a web, mobile, or desktop application that enables users to request rides from drivers. The two sets of users are riders and drivers. Riders use the app to request pickup from drivers close by; view maps of their current trip progress; submit ratings and reviews of their drivers; and manage their accounts. Drivers use the app to receive ride requests from riders in close proximity; track the status of active trip requests; accept/reject ride requests depending on various criteria such as passenger rating, pickup location, etc.; submit ratings and reviews for riders they have driven with; and manage their accounts.
Transportation apps are often related to other transportation services, such as delivery apps. The most popular transportation apps today include Lyft, Uber, and Waze.
Examples of transportation apps built with Crowdbotics:
- The app would essentially be an uber copycat, but with one important distinction – pricing is based on drivers bidding against each other.
- A parking street sign app. Camera takes a picture of parking sign and converts that to data. Data is then stored in system with a GPS location. Sends data back to phone to let the person know if they can park there.
What is the typical cost to build a transportation app?
A transportation app usually costs about $37,500 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $25,000 or as high as $50,000. A transportation app with a low number of features (also known as a minimum viable product, or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.
For example, here are some previous transportation app price quotes from Crowdbotics:
How long does it take to build a transportation app?
A transportation app usually takes 367 hours to build. However, a transportation app can be built in as few as 267 hours, or in as many as 667 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your specific app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, complex logic, or non-standard release platforms.
For example, some previous transportation apps build with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:
Not seeing what you’re looking for?
Crowdbotics has quoted and built hundreds of applications for teams of all sizes. Browse our historical estimates by industry and app type to understand possible costs and considerations.
How to successfully grow your transportation application
A transportation app can grow its user base by providing a more convenient service than competing apps. It’s common for transportation apps to offer referral programs that provide users with free rides for referring their friends to the app.
Risks and challenges of building a transportation application
A transportation app faces legal and logistical challenges related to the classification of drivers (e.g., contractors or employees) and other applicable regulations, rider safety, and the storage of sensitive personal information. Before creating a transportation app, you will want to ensure that you can meet all of the legislative requirements for ridesharing apps in your target market. You will also want to ensure that you have feedback mechanisms in your app (such as ID verification) to ensure high driver performance and to protect drivers from abusive rider behavior.
