Real-Time Bus Arrival Time Estimation API using WebSocket in Microservices Architecture

In almost all countries, public transportation is the primary choice for people to make daily trips. One of the main problems of public transportation is the accuracy of the vehicle arrival schedule information. In some types of public transportation with particular tracks, such as rapid transit (e.g., MRT), the arrival time can be predicted easily because traffic jams do not affect transportation. This is different from buses, which use the same route as other vehicles so that traffic jams could affect them. This study tries to solve this problem by building an API that can be used to get information on the estimated arrival time of the bus. Estimated time is calculated based on the condition of the bus position and the actual condition of highway traffic from Google Directions API. The API was built using microservices technology, so it can be done quickly if it is further developed to a larger scale. The test was conducted on the Trans Jogja Bus by taking two routes, the short and the long routes. Each route could be explored 20 times under varying time and traffic conditions. Then, the difference between the estimated bus arrival time and the actual bus arrival time could be calculated on each trip. Based on the test results, the estimated bus arrival time generated by the API can be said to be entirely accurate because the difference between the estimated time and the actual bus arrival time is less than 30 seconds