How it works

How UniShuttle works

Students and drivers both use the UniShuttle mobile app. Here is what each of them can do, and how fares and payments work.

For students

Getting a seat and travelling

1. Register

Sign up with your name, university, faculty, pickup point, destination and an emergency contact.

2. Choose a bus

Browse admin-approved buses. Each shows its route, pickup time, number of seats and monthly fee.

3. Request a seat

Request a seat on a monthly or daily plan. The app shows when the driver accepts or rejects it.

4. Travel

Answer the driver’s attendance polls, read their notices, and track the bus live on a map.

Daily rides

Need the bus for just one day? Book a daily ride for a specific date: round trip, to university only, or from university only. The fare is the driver’s daily rate, and you pay once the driver accepts.

Live tracking

When the driver starts sharing their location, your map shows the bus moving in real time. If you open the map later, you still see its latest position straight away.

Fares & payments

Monthly fares are due by the 10th

Each driver sets their own monthly and daily fees. You can pay in the app with PayHere, or pay your driver in cash and they record it.

From the 8th

Reminders

If this month’s fare is still unpaid, the app reminds you to pay before the 10th.

After the 10th

Account frozen

An unpaid account is frozen: you can’t request seats or answer polls. You can still pay, and paying unfreezes your account straight away.

Grace period

Joined late in the month?

If your seat was approved after the 10th, you still owe that month’s fare but your account isn’t frozen for it.

Not travelling this month? Your driver can mark you as “not travelling”. Your account is then frozen for that month only and unfreezes automatically next month, or as soon as you pay. A paid daily ride also unlocks your account for that day.
For drivers

Running your bus service

1. Register your bus

Provide your NIC, driving licence, vehicle registration, bus photo, bank details, route, schedule and fees.

2. Get verified

An admin checks your documents. Your app updates the moment you are approved.

3. Accept students

Accept or reject seat and daily ride requests, and manage your passenger list.

4. Run your route

Send attendance polls, post notices, and share your live location while driving.

Fare tracker

  • See every passenger as paid, unpaid or not travelling for each month
  • Mark cash payments yourself
  • In-app payments update your list live

Wallet & payouts

  • In-app payments are credited to your wallet
  • The platform keeps a 10% commission on in-app payments
  • Request a payout; it is paid once an admin approves it
Behind the scenes

The UniShuttle admin team

Our admins verify driver registrations, manage student and driver accounts, monitor payments, approve driver payouts and answer messages sent through this website.