Public transport operators have long struggled to provide bus drivers with accurate navigation. While commercial navigation systems are optimised for general motorists, they fail to take into account bus-specific requirements like bus stops and bus specific routing. Many operators continue to provide drivers with primitive paper navigation guidance which is hard to interpret whilst driving.

At AnyTrip, we've built a turn-by-turn navigation and real-time bus tracking app tailored specifically for bus operators and bus drivers. Powered using open data, open source tools and free & open source software, the solution integrates:

• GTFS data from operators describing services, stops and pathing
• OpenStreetMap as the base map and routing graph
• Valhalla and OSRM for routing and maneuver generation
• MapLibre Native and Protomaps for custom vector basemaps
• React Native for cross-platform mobile development

This talk will cover the architecture and design of the app, including:

• How we transform GTFS static schedule data into navigable paths
• Choosing between Valhalla and OSRM for different routing needs
• Handling tricky edge cases like loops, u-turns and busways
• Deployment on consumer-grade mobile devices for low-cost and ease of deployment
• Dealing with connectivity constraints and supporting offline use

We'll also share some lessons learned from real-world deployments.

This is a practical, field-tested example of how open source geospatial tools can be used to solve real world transport problems. If you’re interested in GTFS, routing, or building geospatial apps for public good, this talk is for you.