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Sarthi Online Ticketing
Introducing digital payment for local buses i.e intracity travel
About Project
Aim is to make intra-city bus bookings easier with a mobile app that offers seamless digital payments and accurate fare information. My goal is to eliminate cash payment hassles and prevent unfair charges by bus conductors, ensuring a smooth and trustworthy experience for daily commuters.
Problem Statement
Passengers’s Perspective
In today’s world, where digital payments are the norm, paying in cash, especially on local buses, is a real pain. Who carries small change all the time? And even though bus fares are fixed, some conductors take advantage and overcharge people who don’t know the exact fare. It’s just not fair!
Bus Condutors’s Perspective
Bus conductors also have their share of troubles with cash payments. Dealing with small change is frustrating for them too, and it slows down the boarding process. They have to manage a lot of coins, and keeping track of all the cash can be a hassle. Plus, the potential for disputes over fare amounts can create tension and stress during their shifts.
My Responsibility
As the Product designer, I involved my self with understanding user needs, conducting market research, brainstorming and ideating solutions, and designing a user-friendly interface that addresses both customer and vendor pain points. I took the responsibility to ensure that my design process should user-centric and aligned with business goals.
Process Involved
Market Research
The online intercity bus market is really taking off! In FY23, it hit a gross booking value of $1.2 billion, which is a 2.5 times increase from FY22. And the growth isn’t stopping there – online bookings are expected to make up 26% of the market by FY26.
Competitor Analysis
Paytm
Paytm is the only competitor that offers some intra-city travel options in addition to intercity services.
Shows fare details during booking but may lack detailed fare breakdowns for intra-city routes.
Uses digital tickets, verification can vary based on the bus operator, only best when you are booking private bus.
RedBus, AbhiBus, MakemyTrip, Goibibo
All these company’s primarily focuses on intercity travel.
Displays fare information, less focused on intra-city travel.
Issues digital tickets, and verification process depends on the operator.
Performing User Research
User research and talking to users is the most important from of product enhancement and provides an essential foundation for design strategy, studying the factors that influence people's behaviour within a specific market or mindset about any particular product help us to make design decision
What do I want to know ?
How often do people use UPI or online payments?
Are people willing to use UPI or other digital payments for bus tickets?
How do people find the nearest bus stop when they are in an unfamiliar location?
How do people figure out the fare from stop A to stop B, and avoid being overcharged if they are new to the area?
Observation / Insights from Research
95% of people I talked to, prefer using online payment methods like UPI for their everyday purchases.
Users find it tough to always have the right amount of change, and dealing with small coins is a hassle for both them and the bus conductors.
Many users wish they could prebook their bus tickets to avoid standing during their commute.
Newcomers to the city struggle with fare calculations and need a system that provides clear fare information.
User Personas
About User
New-to-the-city college student who uses local buses to commute to college and part-time job.
Frustration
Struggles with finding exact change for bus fares and often gets overcharged due to lack of fare knowledge.
Goals
Wants a cashless payment option and reliable information on bus routes and fares to avoid overcharges.
About User
Marketing executive who relies on local buses for her daily commute to work.
Frustration
It is inconvenient to carry small change and faces delays due to cash handling by bus conductors.
Goals
Seeking a hassle-free digital payment system and accurate bus route and schedule information to streamline her commute.
Designing the solution
Visual Elements
Fonts
Colors
High Fidelity Screens
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