Malawian Student creates bus depot locator App

Apr 17, 2016 Business 142
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Innocent Bvalani

Innocent Bvalani, a student at National College of Information Technology (NACIT) in Blantyre, has come up with an innovation that is going to ease people’s movements.

The innovation, an Android application called Matola, will help people easily identify bus stages. It has come in consideration of more time spent looking for bus stops, especially for people who are not familiar with the areas.

Innocent Bvalani
Innocent Bvalani: The brains behind Matola App.

“Matola is an Android application as well as a website that allows people to find minibus stages in an area. In Malawi minibus stages are not well documented therefore it is a challenge for a person who is not familiar with the environment,” Bvalani told Malawi24.

Besides giving users information about bus stops within an area, it also indicates the exact position of the user. So far a total of 70 stages in Blantyre have been included on the software with more pending to be added across the country.

In expanding the beneficiaries’ scope, the developer has included a suggestion feature within the product that will allow people from different districts to suggest stages. This is one of the ways Bvalani wants to use in growing his brainchild.

The Blantyre based student also made clarifications concerning leaving out those without Android phones.

He said: “People without Android phones can also get locations of minibus stages on the websites.”

However, the computer genius admitted creating the application for gadgets which run on Android Operating System. This follows the increase in the number of people who use phones with the said operating system.

On the progress of Malawi Information Technology Services (ITS), the 21 year-old said there is an improvement only that the rate has been too slow.  He said the enhancement is entirely based on an increase in smartphones in the country which have allowed people to access new services.

The undergraduate has suggested reforms in the communications sector if computer mediated services are to improve further. He proposed a removal of tax charged on internet if numbers of users are to be added.

Bvalani is only two weeks away from finishing his degree studies at the institution and as a student he has managed to come up with two innovations; an internet messenger called Bho and the latest Matola.

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142 Comments

  2. Thumbs up for the spectacular idea but we’ve gat bigger problems to deal with right now.. Talk of the transportation mode itself,,and the roads.

  3. two weeks coming mumva kuti amumanga ameneyo koma malawi i dont understand ur mind malawi why? thanks to almighty God for that do more we dont share wisdom or knowledge

  4. two weeks coming mumva kuti amumanga ameneyo koma malawi i dont understand ur mind malawi why? thanks to almighty God for that do more we dont share wisdom or knowledge

  5. When a Rastaman makes a progressive movie the wicked are red eyed,this man has a vision, if u don’t have an idea of what is happening, plz do not criticise, let’s give him a chance to do what he thinks its good for the development of the country, ndikuona ngati ndibwino kumpanga support mmalo momangoyakhula zinthu zosaziwika,ino sinthawi yomangosusana zili zonse,ino ndi nthawi yopanga umodzi kuti titukule dziko lanthu.

    1. Doesn’t mean he should ignore us people living in the urban areas. Quit with the pessimism?

  18. Those who are saying zilipo kale u have never been in IT industry…we develop the apps using the same languages and concept, and u expect it to be different…….join it today u will tel me u want to make ur own facebook

  23. huh, akufuna akhale ndani ameneyu? ahh koma a MACRA ndi a police mukumuwona ameneyu, apanga zinthu zazikulutu mukamusiya chonchi, ahh ife kutima biiiiii, Haters Associations of Malawi!!!!

  27. Ndakunyadirani Mesho
    kundirandeku kuli kanthu
    Mulungu akuze nzeru zako kupitilila pamenepa ndithu.
    Am in moshko Obligado brada!

  30. Aaa ndie bola wandege uja anapanga zanzeru … Coz anaikweza malawi kt titha kupanga zambri kwathu konkuno not ma stage. Mupatsen upangri wina wandege uja kt iwuluke

  31. Aaa ndie bola wandege uja anapanga zanzeru … Coz anaikweza malawi kt titha kupanga zambri kwathu konkuno not ma stage. Mupatsen upangri wina wandege uja kt iwuluke

  32. How can I explain this testimony to the public about a great man who help me out in serious illness I have HIV AID for good 3year and I was almost going to the end of my life due to the way my skin look like all I have in my mind is let me just give up because life is not interesting to me any longer but I just pray for God every day to accept my soul when ever I’m gone lucky to me my kids brother run to me that he found a doctor in the internet who can cure HIV online he help me out on everything, the doctor ask for my details, so he can prepare the herbal medicine for me from his temple after all he ask is done one week later I started getting more stronger my blood start flow normally for 4 to 5 days I start getting Wight before 6 days my body start developing my skin start coming up after 8 days which he told me that i will be completely healed, I went for HIV test and I was tested negative I’m so happy that I can say I’m not a HIV patient if you have HIV/AID or any sickness he can still help you in getting your ex-back to you please contact him via his email: [email protected], or whatsapp him on +2348143143878.

  35. “The need to develop something is driven by problems faced in old systems whether manual or outdated, and most of the problems should be critical. In this innovation, I don’t see any real sense of such an application. It’s not useful, as I have viewed it. One can not just wake up and think about bus stages yet the driver and assistant know the places that you can ask if you are in doubt or totally ignorant about it. It’s better to come up with useful apps that will benefit the society as a whole. But about bus stages, oooh this dude had run out of ideas. Why cant you deal with bus companies like axa and develop an online ticket booking system to solve!!!!”……. Some brains wrote

    3. Malawi would be better off without pessimistic people like you✋?

  36. The need to develop something is driven by problems faced in old systems whether manual or outdated, and most of the problems should be critical. In this innovation, I don’t see any real sense of such an application. It’s not useful, as I have viewed it. One can not just wake up and think about bus stages yet the driver and assistant know the places that you can ask if you are in doubt or totally ignorant about it. It’s better to come up with useful apps that will benefit the society as a whole. But about bus stages, oooh this dude had run out of ideas. Why cant you deal with bus companies like axa and develop an online ticket booking system to solve!!!!

    1. I think you are talking from a local perspective otherwise this serves the best in the modern world, how many times do you need asking pple of your destination? Live with the current world, we need GPS User-friendly systems as such, He needs our support and even the government can clock in and support the idea, let’s live with the world.

    1. Man you a saying that out of ignorance. Haven’t you ever gone to a new place where you are not familiar with its bus depots and the fairs? Don’t be jealous

    2. Mr. Butao, I guess you need to investigate the difference between a bus stop and a depot. most districts in Malawi have a single or no depot apart from Btz. Why waste time finding a depot on a phne application?

  40. Innovative ideas, discoveries, hard work, can turn around our miserable economy BUT, a lot of good Innovative ideas like these have died before being put into use due to lack of support.

  60. Nice innovation and big up but can we concetrate on food innovation comeon we need more farm produce highbreeds .wapanga mbali yake enafeso tipange mbali yathu osati kunyoza zikomo

  61. Nice innovation and big up but can we concetrate on food innovation comeon we need more farm produce highbreeds .wapanga mbali yake enafeso tipange mbali yathu osati kunyoza zikomo

  64. Tikufuna zitukuko ife, osati zopusa ngati izi. munthu wa mtawn sungavutike ndi za ma stage koma wa ku midzi yemwe sadziwa nkomwe hw to use a smart phone,,ndie zimenezi zithandiza ndani?

  65. Tikufuna zitukuko ife, osati zopusa ngati izi. munthu wa mtawn sungavutike ndi za ma stage koma wa ku midzi yemwe sadziwa nkomwe hw to use a smart phone,,ndie zimenezi zithandiza ndani?

  74. Gr8, can you also create something to assist;
    1. Public speakers to remember agendas of their functions
    2. Public speakers to pronounce words correctly.
    3. Eldery people that govt mandatory retirement age is 55yrs

    5. Vuto la m’malawi ndi limenero koma akanakhala nzungu nde iyayi ndi wanzeru koma poti nditokhatokha nde dza copy. Mmmm shame. Ikanakhala yanga comment yi ndikanagochotsa kuti anthu asamapangenso reply

    6. Vuto la m’malawi ndi limenero koma akanakhala nzungu nde iyayi ndi wanzeru koma poti nditokhatokha nde dza copy. Mmmm shame. Ikanakhala yanga comment yi ndikanagochotsa kuti anthu asamapangenso reply

    7. It can be a copy but it’s gonna benefit us malawians. The one you’re talking about benefits them there. why can’t we appreciate other people achievements? don’t be a hater bro

    8. It can be a copy but it’s gonna benefit us malawians. The one you’re talking about benefits them there. why can’t we appreciate other people achievements? don’t be a hater bro

    17. lets wait & see if we’ll benefit anythn from dis app.. i’ve seen many post sayn.. wakuti wapanga app yabwino bt in de end samamvekako.. dey jst use it okha

    18. lets wait & see if we’ll benefit anythn from dis app.. i’ve seen many post sayn.. wakuti wapanga app yabwino bt in de end samamvekako.. dey jst use it okha

    29. COPY OR NO COPY UNAPANGAKO PRODUCE YAKO?NGATI NDI ZOPHWEKA WHERE WERE YOU TO PRODUCE ONE??NSANJE SIYABWINO.KUNGOMPANGA ENCOURAGE MUNTHU SI KUTI MUNYENYEKA AYI.

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