Chp 898. Vehicle Parking App for Aizawl

Many, many years ago, I was working at this bootstrap incubator in Mumbai called Gravy Inc. started by the late Sidharth Rao, where Sumeet and I launched our own Gaming startup. There were many other startups in the same office and it was incredibly inspiring to be sharing the same space with such brilliant minds.

Among them was my friend and flatmate Pranav Babbar, who was constantly talking about his car parking app idea. To be honest, I never paid much attention—I was an Uber and Ola kind of guy, so it didn’t seem relevant to me. But after moving back to Aizawl and facing the daily grind of commuting and the nightmare of parking, I found myself wishing I had listened to Pranav a lot more closely. :D

I’m not going to develop a vehicle parking app myself—I’ve got my hands full juggling both office work and farm duties. But I’ve got a solid idea for one, and I can’t stand the thought of letting a good idea go to waste just because I don’t have the time. Basically... I don't want to park my parking idea. :P

So, in this blog post, I’m laying out the complete concept for a vehicle parking app tailored specifically for Aizawl. If any of you are interested, feel free to take my idea and run with it. Together, we can make parking in Aizawl a whole lot easier!

I'm writing this post as less technical as possible, so you won’t be nodding off. I hope you read it till the end. Here’s how you can make such an app yourself:

First, you’ll need to sign up as a developer on Google PlayStore or Apple AppStore. I’d recommend starting with just Android since the market is larger in Aizawl. The sign-up process is straightforward, though there’s a small fee involved—this will be the first of several investments you’ll need to make. I’ll break down the estimated total cost towards the end of this post. Once you’re registered, you’ll have access to all the tools necessary to build, test, and eventually launch your app.

Next, it’s crucial to identify the key parking areas in Aizawl. Some of the hotspots include Ch. Saprawnga building, Millennium Centre, Dawrpui Multipurpose building, AMC Multi Complex, Hautea building, MINECO etc., to name a few, as well as other buildings under the PAHOSS scheme.

We all know the frustration of pulling up to these parking centres, only to be told they’re full. Some people try to avoid this by calling ahead, but even that doesn’t guarantee an open spot by the time they arrive. My app idea is designed to tackle these issues head-on and make parking a smoother experience.

I plan to list all the parking locations directly within the app because I want to avoid integrating Google Maps or a geolocation feature, and here’s why: (1) This app is designed specifically for Mizos, not tourists. We’re all familiar with these buildings and localities, so there’s no need to rely on Google Maps to find the nearest building with a parking facility. (2) Google Maps can be quite inaccurate in Aizawl, and honestly, I want to keep costs down.

What do I mean by cutting costs?

Let me explain. There’s something called "API calls." Imagine that to be like sending a message to a friend to ask for information. For example, if you’re at home and want to know how many Iskuts are left at the market, you send a message (an API call) to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper checks and replies with the answer (part of the same API call). In your app, "API calls" work the same way—they request information (like parking availability) and bring it back to you.

Now, Google Maps "API calls" don’t come cheap. Google offers a free tier with about ₹15,000 worth of usage per month, but once you exceed that, it’s around ₹7 per 1,000 calls. With 100 to 500 daily users, you could be looking at monthly costs of ₹8,000 to ₹20,000, depending on how much your app relies on these calls. So, now you can see why I’m steering clear of Google Maps integration in this app. :D

Coming back to the app, assuming you’ve registered as a developer and identified your parking areas—great! Now comes the biggest part of the app: the coding. If you’re a programmer reading this, you know the drill. But if coding isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it. You can easily hire a coder or find freelancers on platforms like Fiverr and give them clear instructions on what you need.

Once you’ve got your coder lined up—or if you’re rolling up your sleeves and diving into the code yourself—let’s talk about what’s happening behind the scenes. 

First up: Server requirements. You’re going to need a solid cloud server to handle all the data coming in, like user accounts, parking spot availability, and booking requests. Without a good server setup, your app could end up as slow as traffic on a Monday morning or during a concert at Lammual.

Think of a server like this: You go to the market to buy Iskut (again with the Iskut analogy :P). The shopkeeper gives you what he has, but you want more. So, instead of asking you to go to the next vendor, the shopkeeper quickly sends a message to the warehouse (maybe FamCart, see I'm advertising my friends for free), where more Iskut is stored. The warehouse then sends the extra Iskut to the shop, and you get exactly what you need, all instantaneously.

In this scenario, the shopkeeper is like your app, and the warehouse is the server. The server stores all the information and data your app needs. When you request something (remember the API call I was talking about above), the app (shopkeeper) fetches it from the server (warehouse) and delivers it to you.

For a project like this, a basic cloud server from providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure should do the trick. These services are scalable, meaning you can start small and expand as your user base grows.

Now, let’s talk about the front-end—this is what your users will interact with from their mobile phones, so it’s got to look good and function even better. If you hire a freelancer to code, they usually do all the back-end and front-end parts too, so you don't have to worry about this. But if you're working on this yourself, you'll have to build the front-end UI (User Interface) too.

You’ll want a clean, minimalistic, and intuitive interface since many of your users might be the “ka pu” and “ka pi” types who aren’t exactly tech-savvy. Plus, it should be easy to use for those accessing it from their two-wheelers. Keep the design simple and user-friendly—remember the KISS principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Or as some might say, "Kima Is So Single." :D :P

On the building parking management side, you’ll need to build a separate interface that allows parking attendants to update spot availability, manage bookings, and handle any on-the-ground issues. This interface should be just as simple and easy to use, enabling attendants to quickly update the app without any fuss.

And, of course, you’ll want to make sure the app is optimised for both mobile and tablet use, given that parking attendants might prefer working on a larger screen. Plus, it’s always a good idea to test your app on different devices to make sure it works smoothly across the board.

Although I’m offering all these ideas for free, don’t hesitate to consult me if you decide to take this project up. I’d be more than happy to help with the front-end UI design and the QA/QC parameters as these are my favourite areas to tinker with. And yes, of course, this will be completely free of charge again.

So, you’ve got the server set up, the front-end design looking sharp, and the back-end coding in place. What’s next? Well, there’s the big question of payment.

How much money can you actually make from this?

Let’s be honest: Are you doing this purely for profit, or are you doing this to solve the parking crisis in Aizawl (while making a little money on the side)?

In my mind, there are two possible scenarios. Either the state government sees the potential and decides to take this on, in which case monetisation isn’t much of a concern. Or, you as a private individual choose to take the project forward. If that’s the case, you’ll need to ensure you can cover your initial investment.

After all, building this app isn’t going to be cheap.

Here’s a breakdown of the approximate expenses you’ll need to cover: 

1. Google PlayStore Sign-Up Cost: Let’s start with the basics. You’ll need to shell out around ₹1,500 to sign up as a developer on the Google PlayStore. This is a one-time fee, so once you’re registered, you’re set.

2. Server Costs: For a cloud server to handle 100 to 500 daily users, you’re looking at roughly ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 per month. This should cover your data storage, user accounts, and all those real-time parking updates. As your app grows, you might need to scale up, but this is a good starting point. 

3. Google Maps API call Costs: Zero. :)

4. Payment Gateway Fees: Most payment gateways (like Razorpay, Paytm, Stripe, etc.) charge a small fee per transaction. This is typically 2-3% of the transaction amount plus a small fixed fee (₹3 to ₹5 per transaction).

5. Freelancer Cost for Coding: Now, if coding isn’t your thing, hiring a freelancer will be your next big expense. And since we’re skipping the Google Maps integration, the cost will be lower. A decent freelancer on platforms like Fiverr might charge anywhere from ₹50,000 to ₹1,20,000 for a project like this, depending on its complexity. If you reach out to local Mizo developers, and explain that this is for the greater good, they might even agree to do it for around 50K.

6. Maintenance Charges: Even after your app is up and running, you’ll need to account for ongoing maintenance costs. This includes regular updates, bug fixes, server upkeep, and occasional tweaks to keep everything running smoothly. Depending on the complexity of your app and the frequency of updates, you’re looking at around ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per month. It’s like keeping your relationship in check—regular maintenance is key to avoiding those unexpected “we need to talk” moments! :D

7. Parking Attendant Salary: Someone needs to keep track of which parking spaces are filled, updating the system from their end. Of course, you could automate this but that will involve more costs, which I am not getting into for now.  As for who pays the parking attendant for this work, I am actually not sure because it could be on the building management’s tab too and not you, so I will leave this part out of the list of costs.

So excluding the above point, the one-time payment of Google Play registration and the cost of coding, your monthly expense would be roughly ₹7,000 for 100 to 500 DAUs (Daily Active Users).

In that case, it’s only practical to make some money from the app—otherwise, you’re bleeding 7K every month. So yeah, monetising the app is a must. Here are a few monetisation strategies I’ve come up with.

Freemium model: Make the app free for everyone to maximise your user base. To generate revenue, you can integrate an ads SDK, which will display ads to your users. Free users will have the following features:

1. Basic Parking Search: Allow users to search for available parking spots in different locations.
2. Real-Time Availability: Provide updates on parking spot availability without the need for advanced booking.
3. Pay from phone: Users can pay the parking fee directly from the app itself.
4. Parking History: Let users view their past parking locations and durations.
5. Notifications: Send reminders when parking time is about to expire or when new spots become available.
6. Basic Customer Support: Offer access to general help and FAQs within the app.
7. User Reviews and Ratings: Enable users to rate parking spots and read reviews from others.

Now add a premium feature to the same app, charging a subscription of around ₹300 to ₹500 per month. Premium users will avail of all the same features above, as well as some sweet perks, like:

1. No ads—because who needs distractions when you’re trying to park?
2. Advance booking: Premium users can enjoy the luxury of booking a parking spot up to an hour in advance.
3. No parking fees: They don't have to pay for the parking fee, but you’ll need to do some quick math to make sure the premium fee covers this, so you’re not suffering a loss or barely able to break even.
4. Priority customer support: This basically means you or your wife or your kids will be answering their calls—because who needs a full team when you’re in bootstrap mode? :D
5. A special “Premium” badge: Okay, it’s mostly for show, but who doesn’t like a little VIP status, especially in our Mizo society? :D

These perks should make the premium option tempting enough for users to fork out a little extra, while still keeping you in the green!

Do note that I’m focusing exclusively on buildings with designated parking in this app, and not the various street parking spots like Dawrpui veng Street, Canteen kual, etc. Those areas are a bit more complex to manage, but with a bit of brainstorming, I’m confident we can tackle that challenge as well.

Aaaand there you have it, folks! How to build your own Vehicle parking app for Aizawl.

If you’ve stuck around this long, congratulations—you’re either seriously committed to solving Aizawl’s parking woes or you’ve got way too much free time on your hands. :D Either way, I hope this rundown has sparked some ideas (or at least a chuckle or two).

Remember, this is just a blueprint. Whether you’re diving into the coding yourself, roping in some Mizo devs, or bribing your kids with extra screen time to handle customer support, the goal here is simple: Make parking in Aizawl a little less of a headache.

And who knows? Maybe this little venture will turn into the next big thing. Or at the very least, it’ll save you from circling Millennium Centre a gazillion times. :D Either way, I’m rooting for you.

So go forth, take this idea, and park it somewhere awesome. And if you need me, well, you know where to find me—probably planting Iskut at my farm.

Cheers and happy app-making!