The verdict in three sentences
For a 900-employee company in Electronic City, Bangalore, employee transport is often the largest overhead after payroll, and it is managed blind: the vendor bills buses, not passengers. A booking app by route and time slot, with QR boarding scans and GPS tracking, finally reveals the real occupancy rate of each shuttle. With Kolonell, the project sits between 4,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR, about 6 to 10 lakh INR), delivered in 10 to 14 weeks, with a target of 20 % savings on the transport contract.
Why shuttles run half empty
Across Whitefield, HSR Layout, Hosur Road and Electronic City, shuttle routes are often set when the site opens and never revisited. Shift times change, employees move, some switch to hybrid work, but the contract stays tied to the original bus count. Without boarding data, HR cannot renegotiate.
| Metric | Typical situation without an app | With an app |
|---|---|---|
| Measured occupancy | Unknown, eyeballed | By route, time slot and day |
| Booking | Spreadsheet or WhatsApp group | Booking by 6 pm the day before |
| Boarding control | None or manual check | QR scan in 2 seconds |
| Delays | Reported through complaints | GPS alert at 10 minutes late |
| Vendor billing | Flat fee per bus | Checked against real trips and kilometres |
| Route optimisation | Every 2 or 3 years | Monthly review on data |
Features and their cost
The typical scope includes an employee mobile app (Android and iOS), a driver app and an HR back office. The employee app must stay light enough to work on congested mobile networks during rush hour on Hosur Road.
| Module | Content | Share of budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee app | Booking by route and slot, personal QR, notifications | 30 % | 4 weeks |
| Driver app | QR scan, passenger list, departure and arrival | 15 % | 2 weeks |
| GPS tracking | Shuttle position, estimated arrival time | 15 % | 2 weeks |
| HR back office | Routes, stops, schedules, shifts, statistics | 25 % | 3 weeks |
| Reports and billing | Occupancy rate, vendor invoice checks | 10 % | 1 week |
| HRIS integration | Import of employees and shift rosters | 5 % | 1 week |
As a 2026 order of magnitude, a Bangalore development agency quotes 8 to 25 lakh INR for this scope. The 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA Kolonell range matches the "medium complexity application" band of our grid. The low end covers booking, QR and back office; the high end adds real-time GPS and HRIS integration. Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA/month (110 EUR) covers app updates and data hosting. A GPS tracker per shuttle, if the vendor has none, costs around 3,000 to 6,000 INR plus 300 to 500 INR/month.
Mini case study
Priya, HR head of a 900-employee tech services company in Electronic City (illustrative scenario), pays for 14 shuttles of 40 seats at 1,80,000 INR a month each, 25,20,000 INR a month and about 3 crore INR a year. After two months of data, the app shows 51 % average occupancy and three routes that can be merged with shifts staggered by 15 minutes. She moves to 12 shuttles and renegotiates per-trip pricing on two routes: savings of about 5,00,000 INR a month, 20 %. With a project at 5,500,000 FCFA (about 8 lakh INR) and maintenance of about 1.3 lakh INR a year, payback comes in under 2 months.
FAQ
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Do all employees have a smartphone?
In most tech and services companies, nearly all do. For the rest, a QR printed on the badge and booking through the shift lead are enough.
Does the transport vendor have to accept the app?
It must be in the contract: mandatory QR scan and GPS position sharing. Add this clause at the next renewal, usually annual.
What happens to employees' location data?
The app tracks the shuttle, not the employee. Booking data is handled under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, with consent at sign-up and retention capped at 12 months.
How soon do savings appear?
Allow 6 to 8 weeks of data after go-live to redesign routes, then a month of negotiation with the vendor.
Can we manage several sites?
Yes, one back office can handle Electronic City, Whitefield and a warehouse in Hosur, with statistics split by site.
Let's scope your project. Send us the number of employees transported, your routes and your contract value and we will price an app between 4 and 7 million FCFA, live in 10 to 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
