TITLE

Efficient Shared Mobility: Technology-Powered Vehicle Rentals for a Better

Transportation Ecosystem

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Lagos, Nigeria, faces a severe transportation crisis marked by inadequate public transport,
chronic traffic congestion, and environmental pollution. This significantly impacts quality of life,
economic productivity, and urban sustainability. To address these challenges, this project
proposes the development of a service/application which will serve as a peer-to-peer vehicle
rental marketplace that leverages technology to create a more efficient, accessible, and
sustainable mobility ecosystem.

The service will connect vehicle owners with individuals, businesses and companies seeking
short-term rentals enabling shared use of underutilized vehicles, unlocking an additional passive
income opportunity and also potentially reducing the need for private car ownership. Key
features will include a user-friendly mobile app, vehicle verification, real-time tracking, a
payment gateway and a comprehensive rating system.

BACKGROUND

Navigating Lagos, the bustling commercial seat of Nigeria, can be a daily challenge. With over 13 million
[1] residents of the state, and more arriving daily for settlement, tourism and business purposes,
commuting around the state could be quite challenging. The commuters have to contend with heavy
traffic congestion, and poorly maintained, overcrowded roads often in a state of disrepair. Further
contributing to the problems faced by commuters is the reality that the most popular form of public
transportation, Danfo minibuses and motorcycles, are largely controlled by the informal sector with little
official regulation contributing to chaotic traffic patterns and safety concerns.

Transportation in Lagos State is largely divided into three broad categories: private vehicles, ride hailing
services (Bolt, Uber and Indrive) and public transportation systems. The most challenging problem facing
Lagos transport industry, as highlighted above, is the issue of transport congestion. In 2019, the total
number of motor vehicles newly registered in Lagos State was 154, 056 with over 127,058 belonging to
private individuals representing over 82.5% of the total vehicle registered over the year [2].
We see this statistic as both a problem and an opportunity. The dominance of private vehicles in Lagos,
with over 82.5% of newly registered vehicles belonging to individuals, is a double-edged sword. While it
reflects personal mobility aspirations, it also fuels the city's chronic traffic congestion. However, within
this challenge lies the untapped opportunity. Our project leverages the vast pool of underutilized
private cars (over 127,000 new ones in 2019 alone) by enabling their short-term rentals through a secure
and user-friendly platform. This innovative approach not only reduces the need for additional car
purchases and alleviates congestion, but also empowers individuals to generate income and contributes
to a more sustainable transport ecosystem.

We propose a peer-to-peer vehicle rental marketplace designed to address this challenge and
revolutionize mobility in the city. By leveraging the power of digital technology and a collaborative
sharing economy model, the service will connect vehicle owners seeking income with individuals
needing short-term car rentals. This will offer greater mobility options for residents, including
commuters, travellers, and businesses.

We see the demand for this service in the following scenarios:

1. Tourists and visitors who need short-term transportation options during their stay in Lagos.
2. Business professionals visiting Lagos for meetings or conferences requiring temporary transportation.
3. Businesses requiring short-term vehicles for transportation, deliveries, or events.
4. Religious organizations like churches and mosques requiring short-term vehicles for worshippers to
various events.
5. Individuals seeking vehicles for special events like weddings, parties, or family gatherings.
6. Some high-profile celebrities or personalities visiting the state on the short-term and will prefer not to
use ride-hailing services like Bolt or Uber.
7. Companies willing to provide transport benefits/carpooling solutions for its staff but will rather lease
vehicles on a long term basis or outsource the management to others.
8. Commuters who may not be able to afford a car but may prefer to rent a vehicle for cases where
ride-hailing services will not be sufficient like going out of Lagos state. Also for cases where it could boost
their perceived status if they arrived with their own car.

In addition to the demand scenarios we listed above, we are also targeting the following customer base
with this service:

1. Vehicle owners: Individuals with underutilized vehicles looking to earn extra income by renting them
out.

2. Tourists and Visitors: Travelers who prefer the convenience of renting a vehicle during their stay in
Lagos.

3. Event Planners: Individuals or companies organizing events that require transportation services.
4. Business travellers: Professionals visiting Lagos for work purposes, seeking flexible transportation
options.

While we understand that there are existing services offering a similar car rental service, we see that
majority of them are either informal or do not offer very flexible options for customers. Unlike most
current services, we propose to offer daily, weekly, and even monthly rentals, catering to every kind of
need, from a quick errand to a weekend getaway on different kinds of vehicles - cars, vans, motorcycles
and even if it is a fleet of vehicles. We prioritize a seamless customer experience throughout the entire
rental process. From user-friendly online booking to convenient pick-up and drop-off locations, we make
renting a car stress-free. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a first-time renter, you can enjoy the
freedom of the road knowing your vehicle is always located and protected. In addition, while offering a
diverse range of rental options, we plan to keep everyone’s trust and give them a peace of mind by
equipping real-time tracking technology to vehicles rented to customers providing both renters and
owners with unmatched peace of mind.

With the success of the service in Lagos State, we can deploy the service across the state giving
commuters from different parts of the country flexible options to fulfil their commute needs and also
giving vehicle owners an option to earn money from their vehicles. By partnering with local businesses
and drivers across the country, we contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian transport economy which
contributed 1.89% to the nominal GDP in the third quarter of 2022 [3].

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Improve the customer experience in the vehicle-renting industry by leveraging technology to facilitate a
seamless experience for renters and also provide a tracking solution and income opportunity for vehicle
owners willing to rent them out.

PROJECT FLOW

There are two entry points to the application - the client profile and the admin profile. The customers
seeking to rent vehicles will log in through the client profile while the vehicle owners willing to rent out
their vehicles will log in through the admin profile.
A. Client Profile (The Renter)

1. Signup

- The user willing to rent a vehicle will provide the required information like name, username, email
address, phone number, and password in order to create an account. On signup, they will be guided via
popups as to how the application works

2. Login

- After successfully creating an account, the user provides their valid email address/username and
password to gain to the customer profile/interface

2-Factor authentication (2FA) will be implemented for both the signup and login experience for renterss
who wish to have an additional form of security.

3. Browsing/Exploring Process
- On successful login to the customer profile, users can go through the collection of available vehicles for
rentals. When they select a particular vehicle, relevant information like rent rate, description, and ratings
are provided.

4. Payment

- After selecting the vehicle or fleet of vehicles they’d like to rent, the renters will provide relevant
information about them, the purpose and duration of their rent. They will then wait for approval on the
rental order.

- An online receipt detailing the terms of the order will be generated upon successful payment and sent
to the email address provided. Instructions on how to pick up the rented vehicles will also be provided.

B. Admin Profile (The Agent)

1. Signup

The vehicle owner, the agent, willing to offer a rental vehicle will be able to provide information like
name, email address, username, phone number and password in order to create an account. They will
also need to provide more information about themselves for KYC purposes like documentation to verify
they own the vehicles, bank account information and more.

2. Login
On successful signup, the agent provides their valid email address/username to log in and gain access to
their dashboard.

2-Factor authentication (2FA) will be implemented for both the signup and login experience for agents
who wish to have an additional form of security.

3. Data Entry: The interface prompts the agent to enter the necessary information on the vehicle offered
for rental. The information to be provided includes:

- Vehicle Name: Brand, model, year and any unique identifiers

- Vehicle description: Detailed overview of features, highlighting key selling points (e.g., fuel efficiency,
seating capacity, infotainment system, safety features).
- Vehicle Type: Category (e.g., car, SUV, van, motorcycle), number of passengers, transmission type, cargo
space.
- Photos: High-quality, visually appealing photos of the vehicle's exterior, interior, and key features.
- Price for Rent: Per-day, per-hour, or per-mile rate, as applicable.

4. Agent Dashboard: The agent dashboard provides the agent with a comprehensive overview of the
vehicles they have offered for rental services. The dashboard provides analytics for the past month of the
number of times their vehicles were rented for the past month, a monthly earnings report of how much
they have earned, a rental breakdown by vehicle type/category showing how different vehicles in their
fleet are performing, proactively notify owners about upcoming maintenance deadlines to avoid
downtime and also benchmark their performance against similar vehicles or the overall market.

5. The Wallet: For agents, the wallet provides a transparent and convenient way to track their earnings
from vehicle rentals. It gives them information on their total earnings, breakdown by vehicle, log of their
past rentals and clear breakdowns of individual transactions, including rental fees, deductions for
insurance or platform fees, and net earnings.

TECHNOLOGY STACK

1. Frontend

- CSS for styling

- Bootstrap/Tailwind CSS for enhanced design components
- React for dynamic and responsive user interface

2. Backend
- Express JS for building server-side logic
3. Database
- Mongo DB for non-relational efficient data storage and retrieval

4. Hosting
- Netlify, Vercel, Heroku or any other service for hosting.

TEAM MEMBERS

1. Adewole Akorede (170403036) - Backend Development Team Member

- Design and implement server-side logic

- Ensure seamless communication with the database
- Manage data storage and processing
- Collaborate with frontend team to ensure consistency of data expected and sent

2. Oluwaseunbabara Hephzibah Taiwo (170408009) - Frontend Development Team Member

- Creating a user interface for the application

- Ensuring accessibility of the user interface
- Ensuring a well-thought-out and smooth user experience for the clients and agents
- Collaborate with the backend team for seamless integration

POSSIBLE CHALLENGES

We expect to face the following challenges in the development and deployment of the proposed service:

1. Competition from the informal market

2. Privacy Concerns: We understand that some potential customers may raise issues with continuously
tracking the real-time location of the vehicles. While it is an important safeguard to ensure the security
of the vehicles against bad actors, we need to also consider the privacy of the users and ensure they are
well aware of the privacy decisions.

First, there will be a persistent notification banner/disclaimer right on the app informing the users that
the real-time location data of the vehicles is being collected and securely maintained by an encrypted
service. Furthermore, the location data will be promptly deleted from the servers on safe return of the
vehicles at the end of the rent period. Additionally, only an automated system will have access to the
location data at any instant in time. In the case the system detects a potential breach of agreed contracts
on the vehicle, it will now provide real-time location to authorized personnel who may escalate the issue
to authorities. In that event, the user will be informed via the app that their real-time location is now
being monitored by the company.

We plan to implement such a system by taking advantage of geofencing technology in which virtual
boundaries are set up around specific geographic areas. When the rented vehicle exits the predefined
geographic area, the system will trigger an event on the backend which will prompt an authorized
personnel to begin to actively monitor the vehicle’s real-time location and also inform the user of such
activity. If no response is received from the user, the vehicle’s location will be reported to the police.

3. Lack of available data on the size of the market: While we understand that there are existing informal
businesses with similar models, it is quite difficult to estimate their earnings to be fully able to project
the financial feasibility or profitability of the model. Additionally, it may be quite difficult to encourage
people to rent out their vehicles so partnerships with local businesses with similar offerings may be
necessary in the early days.

4. Illegal use of vehicles: Given the inherent risks of car rentals, malicious actors could misuse vehicles for
criminal activity, aiming to implicate the platform or the vehicle owner. To combat this, we will
implement comprehensive KYC checks for both clients and agents. This stringent vetting process ensures
robust identity verification, enabling accurate tracing and swift reporting to authorities if suspicious
activity arises.

CONCLUSION
This project demonstrates the power of technology to address societal challenges and also unlock
avenues for financial growth. The platform allows vehicle owners to generate income while promoting
shared resources. This, in turn, can stimulate the local economy, create new jobs in related sectors, and
contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous Lagos.

REFERENCES

1. Demographic Statistics Bulletin 2020, National Bureau of Statistics

2. Lagos Transport Statistics 2020, Lagos Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget,
Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja

3. Ologunagbe, O. (2022, December 15). Road transport ranks high in Q3 2022 GDP. Businessday NG.
https://businessday.ng/transport/article/road-transport-ranks-high-in-q3-2022-gdp/