I'm always excited to take on new projects and collaborate with innovative minds.

Phone

+44 7459 392511

Email

[email protected]

Email

[email protected]

Address

71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ, UK

Social Links

Project

MarhabaTaxi

Vision: Transform a buggy, off-the-shelf taxi app into a stable, scalable, and cost-efficient ride-hailing platform tailored for Oman’s tourism sector.
Result: Rebuilt core systems, launched a hotel iPad app, optimized backend costs, and drove over 100,000 OMR in revenue within 3 months.

Client

MarhabaTaxi

Start Date

Dec 15, 2023

Website

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Description

MarhabaTaxi is a premium ride-hailing platform operating in Oman. Initially built using a purchased source code, the app was plagued with critical issues and performance bottlenecks. As the lead developer, I was entrusted with rebuilding and stabilizing the core platform. I re-engineered the driver discovery system on both the Laravel backend and Firebase, integrating Google Cloud Maps and Distance Matrix APIs to provide accurate, real-time driver matching. The goal was to create a reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient system that enhanced both rider and driver experiences.

Key Features

  • Intelligent Driver Matching: Redesigned the search logic with geospatial calculations and custom radius handling using Google Maps and Firebase, drastically improving ride allocation accuracy and speed.

  • Hotel iPad App Integration: Developed a dedicated iPad app for hotels, enabling tourists to book rides instantly via a one-tap interface. Integrated directly with the Laravel backend, it assigns nearby drivers with customized logic and handles full trip lifecycle management.

  • Automated SMS Invoicing: At trip completion, tourists receive an SMS with a digital invoice and a link to download the rider app, enhancing post-ride engagement and encouraging app installs.

  • Admin Panel Enhancements: Added advanced driver analytics, including monthly rankings and performance-based accounting summaries, helping the management reward top drivers and track KPIs.

  • Google API Cost Optimization: Refactored backend geolocation workflows and caching mechanisms to minimize unnecessary API calls, keeping monthly API costs under $400 while maintaining high accuracy.

  • Seamless Handover and Growth: Supported the platform under a company contract for three months, ensuring operational stability. Successfully handed over a fully functional, optimized system that generated over 100,000 OMR in revenue.

Technologies Used
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  • Backend: Laravel (PHP) for API development, trip logic, and database operations.

  • Realtime Database: Firebase Realtime Database for live driver location tracking and instant updates.

  • Google APIs: Maps, Distance Matrix, and Geocoding APIs for accurate location matching and route calculations.

  • Front-End (Hotel App): Flutter-based iPad app optimized for front-desk usage with seamless backend communication.

  • Communication: Integrated SMS gateway for ride status notifications and invoice delivery to non-app users.

 
 
 
Design Highlights

  • Functional Minimalism: Focused on practical UI design for the management with large touch zones, real-time trip status, and auto-refreshing driver list.

  • System Optimization: Backend code was heavily optimized to reduce latency, API costs, and crash rates, resulting in a more stable platform with higher operational efficiency.

  • Seamless Experience: End-to-end ride flow—from hotel desk to driver assignment to post-ride SMS—was streamlined for zero-friction usage.

Vision : Transform a buggy, off-the-shelf taxi app into a stable, scalable, and cost-efficient ride-hailing platform tailored for Oman’s tourism sector.
Result : Rebuilt core systems, launched a hotel iPad app, optimized backend costs, and drove over 100,000 OMR in revenue within 3 months.

Resources