Design and Implementation of a Hybrid IoT-Based Real-Time College Bus Tracking System Using ESP32 and GPS

Abstract

In many educational institutions, students and staff often face uncertainty regarding the arrival and departure of college buses due to traffic conditions, route variations, and lack of real-time communication. Conventional tracking methods rely on fixed schedules or manual updates, which are inefficient and do not provide accurate or timely information. To address these limitations, this paper presents a hybrid IoT-based college bus tracking system that enables real-time monitoring of bus locations through both hardware-based and smartphone-based approaches. The proposed system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller integrated with a GPS module and GSM communication module to capture and transmit real-time location data to a cloud platform. Additionally, a software-based alternative allows the driver’s smartphone to act as a GPS source, directly sending location data to the cloud. The collected data is stored and processed using cloud services, enabling seamless access through a web-based application. The web dashboard provides live tracking, estimated arrival time (ETA), and route visualization, allowing students and administrators to monitor buses efficiently. The system also supports alert notifications for delays and route changes, improving safety and operational transparency. The hybrid design ensures flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, making it suitable for deployment in educational institutions with varying infrastructure capabilities.

Introduction

The text discusses the development of a hybrid IoT-based college bus tracking system designed to provide real-time monitoring and management of college transportation. Traditional bus systems rely on fixed schedules and manual communication, which often lead to delays, uncertainty, and inconvenience due to traffic or route changes. Existing solutions either depend entirely on hardware-based GPS systems or smartphone-based tracking, each having limitations related to cost, reliability, or scalability.

To solve these issues, the proposed system combines both hardware-based tracking using an ESP32 microcontroller, GPS module (NEO-6M), and GSM module (SIM800L), and a smartphone-based approach where the driver’s phone acts as the GPS source. Location data is transmitted to a cloud platform such as Firebase or a Node.js server and displayed through a web application integrated with Google Maps API.

The system architecture consists of five layers: sensing, processing, communication, cloud, and application layers. It provides features such as live bus tracking, estimated arrival time (ETA), route monitoring, and notifications for delays or route changes. The workflow continuously collects GPS coordinates, sends them to the cloud, and displays updated information to users in real time.

The implementation uses IoT technologies, cloud computing, and web-based visualization to improve transportation management.

Conclusion

This paper presented a hybrid IoT-based college bus tracking system designed to provide real-time monitoring of bus locations using both hardware-based and smartphone-based approaches. The system integrates ESP32 microcontroller, GPS module, GSM communication, cloud services, and a web-based application to deliver an efficient and user-friendly tracking solution. The proposed system successfully addresses the limitations of traditional bus tracking methods by providing continuous location updates, estimated arrival times (ETA), and notification features. The hybrid approach enhances flexibility and ensures system reliability even in cases where one method is unavailable. The implementation demonstrates that the system is cost-effective, scalable, and suitable for deployment in educational institutions. Overall, the system improves transportation management, reduces waiting time, and enhances safety and convenience for students and staff.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Adeel Arif, Mohd Aarfeen, Mohammad Zaid, Mohd Hanzala Niyazi, Sifatullah Siddiqi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.