"The government is spending millions on an app I built and launched for free," said Abdullah Qaisar, a young developer from Islamabad, in a surprise that appears like a combination of civic surprise and an incredible tech story.
A new innovation evolved from what started as a child's frustration about missing bus schedules. The Safar app provides a sleek, reliable metro and feeder bus guide that the government has not yet published.
How It All Started
Developer Abdullah Qaisar observed something earlier this year as CDA spoke about the introduction of electric feeder buses in Islamabad: one of the routes stopped directly outside his house, yet there was no route chart or schedule to be seen. According to techjuice exclusive interview,
"I had no idea of their route or schedule, but I saw the buses almost every day," Qaisar said in an exclusive interview with TechJuice. I only saw a listing for last station.
In search of solutions, he searched online and discovered out-of-date maps and Facebook groups serving as unofficial transport hotlines. Despite thousands of questions and answers, there was no simple, trusted solution.
Qaisar began developing what would eventually become Safar, an intelligent route planning tool for Metro and feeder buses, using his experience in software engineering and a spark of inspiration.
The Safar App: Created by One Man for You
Safar, a web app that was released in March and is currently expanding quickly, has features that commuters want:
1. Intelligent feeder bus and metro route planning
2. A station finder in real time
3. An interactive network map with feeder lines in red, blue, orange, and green
4. To estimate the cost before boarding, use a fare calculator.
5. Bus schedules and stop information
6. Total protection with no data gathering
Qaisar humbly acknowledged that he received outside support. He joined Faizan Khattak, a passionate cartographer who worked on route mapping on his own. His maps were already being used in WhatsApp channels and Facebook groups. Khattak's skill in design contributed to Safar's usability and functionality.
1. Intelligent feeder bus and metro route planning
2. A station finder in real time
3. An interactive network map with feeder lines in red, blue, orange, and green
4. To estimate the cost before boarding, use a fare calculator.
5. Bus schedules and stop information
6. Total protection with no data gathering
Qaisar humbly acknowledged that he received outside support. He joined Faizan Khattak, a passionate cartographer who worked on route mapping on his own. His maps were already being used in WhatsApp channels and Facebook groups. Khattak's skill in design contributed to Safar's usability and functionality.
Why Safar Is Valuable Beyond Its Coded Lines
Qaisar is focused on doing more. He stated, "Our goal is for Safar to become the most popular public transportation guide in Pakistan." Plans for Lahore, Karachi, and other cities are underway, contingent on collaboration with transportation authorities or diligent manual route planning.
Safar is a story of how civic engagement and passion may work together to bring about change. The approach provides comfort and clarity for Islamabad-Rawalpindi commuters. For the IT community, it serves as a wake-up call and evidence that social movements and local issues may inspire innovation. Qaisar went on to explain that he created the app using Cursor and Claude, Tailwind CSS, Vercel and other technologies.
Safar hopes to eventually offer comparable services in cities where buses operate but maps do not. There's hope till then. It's also crucial to remember that no government agency or representative has contacted the creator of the Safar app or its facilitators to offer assistance with route monitoring and mapping.
Safar hopes to eventually offer comparable services in cities where buses operate but maps do not. There's hope till then. It's also crucial to remember that no government agency or representative has contacted the creator of the Safar app or its facilitators to offer assistance with route monitoring and mapping.
Over 15,000 users use the Safar app, which has assisted in the identification of over 25,000 routes. Safar is available as a web application and on Android smartphones. An iOS app is being developed at right now.
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