A mobile phone based carpooling to school system for Key International School (KIS)
Date
2015
Authors
Chepkemoi, Magdaline
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
The rapid increase in car ownership, dispersed settlement of land patterns, highway investments, socio‐economic and change in commuting behaviors have all contributed to heavy traffic jams and road congestions in urban areas, leading to inconveniences of daily commute such as perceived security and traffic dangers. This has forced many parents from Key International School in Nairobi to drop off and pick up their children to and from school with their own or hired cars, which is quite expensive and time consuming given their busy schedules. The school bus is not an option since it forces the children to be picked up very early and dropped off late into the night. Schools have also been left with the burden of controlling traffic within school compounds during drop-offs and pick-ups times. Carpooling, which is based on the idea of sharing a ride to the same destination using privately owned vehicles with an aim of reducing cars on the road, has emerged as a viable option for parents to share responsibility of dropping off and picking up their children to and from school on a rotational basis, and reducing the number of vehicles on the roads, hence reducing traffic jams and congestion within the school compounds. This dissertation proposes the creation of a mobile phone based carpooling to school system meant to connect parents from Key International School to arrange carpools to/from school. This will enable them to share the responsibility of dropping off and picking up their children to and from school with each other on a rotational basis. The total population of the study is 300 parents including the school staff. The location of the study was Key International School, situated at Kilimani Estate along Argwings Kodhek Road in Nairobi. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection.
The research findings revealed that the majority of the users had a positive feedback on the implementation of a mobile phone app. A high percentage of the parent‟s respondents attested that the application helped them arrange to carpool to school on a rotational basis. Finally, it recommended that Google maps and GPS should be included in the next version of the application and the use of other research approaches other than experimental and exploratory methods.
Description
A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Mobile Telecommunications and Innovation (MSc. MTI)
Keywords
Carpooling, Key International School, School system, Mobile carpooling