How to make an app for a school van service

A school van driver needs the morning stops in order, each child's parent's phone, a quick way to mark who was picked up and dropped, and the list of fees due at month end. An app keeps all of that, and lets you message parents in one tap when the van is late.

Updated 2026-11-09

Who uses the app

Usually the owner-driver and the attendant. If both use their own phones, or parents should see their child's pickup marks and fees, connect your own Supabase database with sign-in, so each parent sees only their own child.

The screens a school van service app needs

Today's route: Stops in pickup order with the children at each stop, and a tap to mark picked up or absent
Drop: Children by school and drop stop, marked handed over, with the person they were handed to
Children: Each child with class, school, stop, parents' names and phones, and who else may collect them
Route map: The stops as pins on a map, in order
Fees: Monthly fees paid and due by child, with a WhatsApp reminder and your UPI QR
Van: Seat count, permit, insurance, fitness and PUC dates, and the service date

Features worth asking for

A 'van running late' WhatsApp message to the parents on a route, ready to send
Picked up and dropped marks for each child, each day
A list of people allowed to collect each child at drop
Stops as pins on a map, using the phone's location to save a new stop while you are there
Fee due list at the start of the month with a polite reminder message
Absent children noted in the morning so the drop list is right

Where the data lives

Children's details are sensitive. If only the driver's phone uses the app, data stays on that phone. If the attendant or parents use it, connect your own Supabase database with sign-in so each person sees only what they should; for fees paid in the app, connect your Razorpay too.

How to make it with AppCub, step by step

Decide what the app does. List the screens you need, for example: Today's route, Drop, Children, Route map, Fees.
Describe it to AppCub. Paste the request below, changed to your own business and details.
Check the plan. AppCub shows the screens and features it will build. Change them in the chat until they are right; seeing the plan is free.
Try it on your phone. The app runs live next to the chat. Scan the QR code to install it, and ask for changes.
Share it. Share it as a web link, an APK file, or publish it on Google Play from your own developer account.

Copy this request, change the details to match your school van service, and paste it into AppCub:

Make an app for my school van service, Safe Steps School Van in Lucknow, with two vans. Screens: today's route, drop, children, route map, fees and van. Each child has name, class, school, stop, parents' names and phones, and people allowed to collect them. Today's route shows stops in order with a tap for picked up or absent; drop marks who the child was handed to. Show stops as pins on a map. Add a WhatsApp button to tell parents on a route the van is late. Fees ₹1,800 or ₹2,200 a month with a due list and UPI QR. Van papers with due dates. Yellow and blue colours.

Tips for a school van service app

Keep big tap targets on the route screen; the attendant marks children while the van is stopped, not while moving.
Collect only what you need: child's name, class, stop, parents' phones and who may collect them.
Agree with parents on the late message wording once, then send it the same way every time.
Check the drop list against the morning marks before leaving the school gate.
Back up the data weekly if it lives only on one phone.

What it costs

Describing your app and seeing AppCub’s plan for it is free.
A new app usually takes 60 to 110 credits. Start with the 2-day trial for ₹99 (150 credits, enough for one app and a few changes) or the one-time App Pack for ₹499. Starter is ₹1,599 a month for 700 credits.
Google Play needs a paid plan (it includes the Play Store bundle and your app’s signing key) and your own Google Play developer account, a one-time US$25 fee to Google.
Work that fails or is rolled back costs no credits.

See all plans

Good to know

The app doesn't track the van live or send parents alerts by itself, and it doesn't connect to GPS devices or school systems. Parents hear from you when you tap the WhatsApp button.
AppCub builds Android apps. You can also share the app as a web link that opens on any phone; for the iPhone App Store, AppCub’s team can do it for you.

Questions

Can parents see where the van is right now?

No. The app doesn't do live tracking. It keeps the route, the pickup and drop marks, and lets you message parents when the van is late.

Can I mark which children were picked up?

Yes. The route screen lists children stop by stop, and a tap marks each one picked up or absent.

Can the app message all parents on a route at once?

It opens WhatsApp with the message ready for each parent, or you can paste it into your own parents' group. Nothing is sent automatically.

Can parents check their child's fee and pickup marks?

Yes, with a Supabase database and sign-in, so each parent sees only their own child. Without it, the data stays on your phone.

Can I note who is allowed to collect a child?

Yes. Each child has a list of allowed people, and the drop screen shows it when you hand the child over.

Can I set my stops on a map?

Yes. Stops appear as pins on a map, and you can save a new stop from the phone's location while you are standing there.

Make your school van service app

Seeing the plan is free. Building starts with a 2-day trial for ₹99.

Start building