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online Bus Ticket Reservation System

ABSTRACT
Online Bus Ticket Reservation System is a Web based application that works within a centralized
network. This project presents a review on the software program “Online Bus Ticket

Reservation System” as should be used in a bus transportation system, a facility which is used to
reserve seats, cancellation of reservation and different types of route enquiries used on securing
quick reservations. OBTRS is built for managing and computerizing the traditional database,
ticket booking and tracking bus and travel made. It maintains all customer details, bus details,
reservation details. In order to achieve the design, Imo Transport Company (ITC) was chosen as a
case study because of its strategic importance to Imo State. Structured Systems Analysis and
Design Methodology (SSADM) was adopted. In addition, PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)
language was used for the front- end of the software while the back end was designed using
MySQL. The software achieved is capable of improving the customer hand and relationship
management in ITC operations. It is recommended that despite the present functionality of the
designed software, an additional functionality such as the use of E-mail to send tickets and
notifications to the customer and an online payment using credit cards/debit cards should be
implemented into the system. Furthermore, other operations carried by ITC such as the courier
services should also be integrated in order to enhance the system.

Key words: OBTRS, Electronic Ticketing, ITC, Reservation, Transportation

1. Background of Study

The prevalent view in various global circles is that man is presently living in an age
growth of information gathering, processing and dissemination, popularly called the
information age. For this reason, managers and other users of information
especially in transport industries are demanding more kinds of information to
support management and operations. They must therefore respond to the increasing
requirement for information and data management.
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Electronic tickets, or e-tickets, gives evidence that their holders have the permission
to enter a place of entertainment, use a means of transportation, or have access to
some Internet services. The design of this online system will be beneficial to the
company because it has not existed before.

Therefore, Imo Transport Company, Owerri, a viable investment owned by the state
government whose primary objectives are: to spread comfort and hospitality to
passengers away from their home, to make profit, will definitely appreciate a
system which can automate its manual operations in the area of bus ticket
reservation in order to meet customers increasing demand during peak and off peak
seasons. The ultimate expectation is to inspire a feasibility study aimed at providing
proper guidance and awareness to any future potential investors, particularly those
in the bus industry, to consider utilizing the Imo transport, as a gateway to the
fertile soil of unlimited opportunities in the south-east Nigeria.

Currently, staff at the bus ticket counter is using an internal system to sell tickets at
the counter and customers who are unable to buy bus ticket online at this moment
would have to go to the counter to a buy bus ticket. Sometimes, customers’ needs to
queue up a long queue to buy bus ticket and ask for information and this brings a lot
of inconveniences to customers.

However, Online Bus Ticket Reservation System enables the customer to buy bus
ticket, make payment, and ask for information online easily. Furthermore, staff can
sell bus ticket using Bus Ticket Reservation System after checking the bus ticket
availability for the customer and print the bus ticket to the customer.

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1.2 Statement of Problem

Currently, the type of system being used at the counter is an internal system which
is manually used in selling the bus tickets. The problems facing the company are
that customers have to go to the counter to buy bus ticket or ask for bus schedule,
customers will also have to queue up for a long time in order to secure a bus ticket
and will also need to pay cash when they buy the bus ticket.

1. Objectives of Study

The main purpose of this study is to automate the manual procedures of reserving a
bus ticket for any journey made through Imo Transport Company (ITC). This
system is said to be an automatic system and customers can select seats by
themselves. Specifically, objectives of this project will consist of:

i) Providing a web-based bus ticket reservation function where a customer can

buy bus ticket through the online system without a need to queue up at the
counter to purchase a bus ticket.

ii) Enabling customers to check the availability and types of busses online.
Customer can check the time departure for every ITC bus through the system.

iii) Easing bus ticket payment by obtaining a bank pin after payments is made to
the various designated banks.

iv) Ability of customers to cancel their reservation.

v) Admin user privileges in updating and canceling payment, route and vehicle
records.

1. Research gaps

According to Kevin (2012) Web-based Bus Reservation and Ticketing System is a

generic web portal application that aids bus customers to reserve a seat in a certain

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bus company anytime and anywhere and variety of buses that satisfy the customer’s
requirements are provided. The project, on the bus company’s side, serves as a
marketing strategy and aids an efficient processing and delivery of itinerary
receipts. The project used software like Adobe Photoshop CS4 for the creation of
the images, Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 and Notepad++ as a development tool,
MySQL for the database, Apache as the web server, mpdf for the creation of PDF
and PayPal Sandbox for the payment. For the main effects, it used jQuery.

However, the softwares adopted in this project, has in recent times been upgraded.
Therefore, Adobe Dreamweaver CS6, Adobe Photoshop CS6, MySQL v.5 are
going to be used to implement this project.

2.1 Study on Electronic Ticketing in Public Transport

A consultant with European Metropolitan Transport Authority (EMTA), Mohamed

Mezghani (2008) stated that EMTA has established a working group to work on the
issue of electronic ticketing. This group is mandated to generate knowledge,
exchange/compile information and learn from the experience of its members in the
field of electronic ticketing. In his framework, EMTA has launched a study on
electronic ticketing in public transport under the supervision of the working group
and they designed certain concepts such as the public transport pricing, public
transport ticketing and electronic ticketing in public transport.

On the contrary, his research which discussed certain concepts in relation to

electronic ticketing in public transport was a one-directional article which didn’t
relate the idea about customer reserving seats and for their journey at a date chosen
by them. Nevertheless, this project will be designed to encapsulate these areas
mentioned as well as display certain screenshots of the customers’ reservations
system.

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2.2 Online Transport Booking System

Badariah, (2007) emphasized that the Online Transport Booking System which was
developed at Politeknik Kota Kuala Terengganu (PKKT) was to make sure that
users could make their online booking or reservations to their desired transport
companies with facilities provided by the new system. He pointed out that the
methodology and technology being used in this new transport system could be
applied to other areas of activities. The user who wants to use the transport must
make an application to book the transport before boarding.

Similarly, after considering the type of system which Badariah adopted, this project
will be designed with the same aim of presenting the customers of Imo Transport
Company with the opportunity of making reservations at the comfort of their homes
or offices without being faced with the challenges of queuing at counters before
embarking on any journey. This project will also enlighten prospective customers
and users of the system on the need to patronize the system as it displays more
advantages over the old system by providing an easy to use Graphic User interface
(GUI) interaction, checking availability of routes before boarding etc.

2. Research Methodology

The system of collecting data for research project is known as research

methodology. The data may be collected for either theoretical or practical research
for example management research may be strategically conceptualized along with
operational planning method and change management. Information which was used
for this study was carried out by oral interview.

3.1 Choice of Methodology

For any project to be completed, it has to go through stages called Development

Life Cycles. System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process of

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understanding how an Information System (IS) can support business needs,

designing the system, building it and delivering it to users. The SDLC composes of
four phases: Planning, Analysis, Design and Implementation.

In order for this project to be developed, the methodology that will be used is the
System Structured Analysis and Design Methodology. The SSADM is classified as
a Waterfall Development. With Waterfall Development, analyst and users proceed
sequentially from one phase to the next and each phase can be mapped out and
evaluated (Hevner, 2004). Below, in figure 3.1 is a diagram on the waterfall
methodology.

Planning Figure 3.1 The waterfall development

Methodology (Wee, 2007)
Analysis

Design

Implementation

System

3.2 DATA FLOW DIAGRAM (DFD)

A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the "flow" of data
through an information system, modeling its process aspects. A DFD shows what
kind of information will be input to and output from the system, where the data will
come from and go to, and where the data will be stored.

The development of DFD’S is done in several levels. Each process in lower level
diagrams can be broken down into a more detailed DFD in the next level. The Top-
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level diagram is often called context diagram. It consist a single process bit, which
plays vital role in studying the current system. The process in the context level
diagram is exploded into other process at the first level DFD. Figures 3.1 to

3.3 shows a data flow diagram about the system.

Level 0

USER Inquiry/Booking/Paym

Bus
Tickets/service details
Reservation
System

Maintain Master
ADMIN
Generate

Figure 3.2 Context View of Online Bus Ticket Reservation System

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LEVEL 1

ADMIN 1. Validate login details

Login

2.
Generate Reports
Maintain Master
Tables
3. Database
Update
route/reservation/custom
er details
Figure 3.3 User view of Online Bus Ticket Reservation System

3.3 USE CASE DIAGRAM FOR USERS AND ADMIN

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A use case is a description of a system’s behaviour as it responds to a request that

originates from outside of that system (the user). In figure 3.4, a use case of the
activities in a bus transport system is shown.

Bus Availability Enquiry

Make Reservation
User

Cancel Reservation

Print Ticket

Administrator
Login

Update Route

Update Payment

Update Bus

Figure 3.5 Use case diagram forusers and admin

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In other words a use case describes “who” can do “what” with the system in
question. The use case technique is used to capture a system’s behavioural
requirements by detailing scenario-driven threads through the functional
requirements.

4. INPUT AND OUTPUT DESIGN

The input design is the link between the information system and the user. It
comprises of the developing specification and procedures for data preparation and
those steps are necessary to put transaction data into a usable form for processing
data entry while an output design is a process that involves designing necessary
outputs in the form of reports that should be given to the users according to the
requirements. Below are some screenshots which comprises of both input and
output designs of the proposed system.

Figure 4.1 Reservation Module

Figure 4.2 Cancellation Module

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Figure 4.3 Administration Module

Figure 4.4 Admin Reserved Ticket

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Figure 4.5 Seat Selection and Contact details

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Figure 4.6 Reservation Ticket

Figure 4.7 Admin Dashboard

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Figure 4.8 Updating Route, Payment and Bus.

5. Summary

In 1974, American airlines were the first to use an automated booking system,
which was still almost manual. Technology grew, and a computer reservation
system was developed. In this present era, online booking or reservation system has
improved the operations of various sectors of a nation’s economy deploying this
system. Online Bus Ticket Reservation System being a web based system that
ensures that the company would be able to transform most of the processes carried
out manually into automated, error-free and easy to use operations in the
organization especially in the area of transportation; also it would be able to
generate report for the management decision purpose.

This system will be developed using a waterfall methodology for research and
design purposes, PHP as the programming language because of its server-side
processing capabilities that makes data process less on the client personal computer,
an implementation strategy as well as testing and maintenance strategies suitable
for efficient deployment of the system.

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5.1 Recommendations

Research and development are continuous processes; this is the same in computer
and software development. However, this work is recommended for Imo Transport
Company Limited, Owerri, since their operation are still carried out manually and it
can also be useful to other Bus Transportation industries whose processes are still
manually done. The system can contribute more on those bus representatives
handling the account if it can generate reports by trip so that they will no longer go
to a certain module to check the reservation and its details. Also, it will be more
beneficial to both clients and bus representatives if clients can create an account just
like in airlines websites. With that, the system can record the modifications made.
Other functionalities such as E-Mail facility for sending Ticket to passenger, Online
Payment with Credit Card / Debit Card etc. could also be integrated into the system
in order to enhance user friendliness and interactions

5.2 Conclusion

It can be observed that computer applications are very important in every field of
human endeavor. Here all the information about customer that made reservation can
be gotten just by clicking a button with this new system, some of the difficulties
encountered with the manual system are overcome. It will also reduce the workload
of the staff, reduce the time used for making reservation at the bus terminal and also
increase efficiency. The application also has the ability to update records in various
files automatically thereby relieving the company’s staff the stress of working from
file security of data.

This project, as a whole, will give a new way in bus reservations and ticketing
processes. The automation and management of seats and reservations will be done

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online. However, this project does not limit the walk-in passengers that is
passengers who visit the company’s counter because it also caters for them.

This also lessens the use of papers like in the traditional way of ticketing.

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