Students from the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) won the second place at the hackathon competition for the universities and colleges category in the Sultanate, which was organized by the National Bank of Oman (NBO) annually. The team consisted of Raghad Rabea Al Busaidi, Al Muntasir Suleiman Al Abri, Al-Anoud Khalfan Al Hadabi, Sondos Salem Al Zakwani and Akram Khalifa Al Naabi.

The team designed the application (Easy Trans), an application which aims to develop the public transportation by tracking buses or and other transport vehicles, booking ticket with seat reservation facility and identifying the nearest stations in the region.

The team also designed a smart solar power bus station with a smart screen to book tickets and track buses. This application can combine the transportation companies in the future, and create a competitive environment among transportation companies to provide better services and that will  increase people's demand for public transport that contribute to reducing traffic congestion.

NBO's Hackathon 2019 is an innovation hub for application developers to present a big technological idea that will shape the way we see the world. This year's edition of Hackathon witnessed the largest number of competitors ever, with more than 600 people, highlighting its position as a platform for young Omanis to test present their skills and innovative ideas.