Privacy Policy
VanWala (“VanWala”, “we”, “us”) connects parents, students and passengers with verified van drivers for school, college and office transport in Pakistan. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Account details: name, email address, mobile number, city, password (stored only as a secure hash) and an optional profile photo.
- Google sign-in (optional): if you choose “Continue with Google”, Google shares your name, email address and profile picture with us. We use them only to create and sign in to your VanWala account. We never see or store your Google password.
- Children / passenger details (parents): child’s name, school, college or office name, class, pickup and drop-off address and timings.
- Driver verification (drivers): CNIC, driving licence, vehicle registration, vehicle photos and details, and other documents needed to verify the driver and vehicle.
- Bookings & payments: transport requests, offers, bookings, monthly fee amounts and payment records/receipts. We do not collect or store bank card numbers in the app.
- Messages & support: anything you send us when you contact support.
Information collected automatically
- Location: see App permissions below.
- Call data: when parents and drivers use in-app calling, we keep the call time, duration and status (e.g. answered, missed). Voice audio is transmitted live to connect the call and is not recorded or stored.
- Device & usage data: device type, operating system, app version, sign-in tokens, notification tokens and basic server logs (IP address, date/time, errors) used for security and troubleshooting.
2. App permissions
| Permission | Who | Why we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Location (precise) | Parents, passengers | To set pickup / drop-off points and show nearby drivers. Used only while you are using the app. |
| Location (including in the background) | Drivers only | While a driver has started a trip, the van’s live location is shared with the families on that trip so they can track the van, even if the driver’s screen is off. Location sharing stops when the trip ends. A persistent notification is shown while sharing. |
| Microphone | Parents, drivers | For free in-app voice calls between a parent and their driver. The microphone is used only during a call; calls are not recorded. |
| Notifications & full-screen alerts | All users | Pickup and drop-off alerts, booking updates and incoming-call ringing (including when the app is closed or the phone is locked). |
| Foreground service | Parents, drivers | To keep live trip tracking running and to ring for incoming calls while the app is in the background. |
| Photos / files | All users | Only when you choose to upload a profile photo, documents or payment receipts. |
You can turn any permission off at any time from your phone’s settings. Some features (such as live tracking or calling) will not work without the related permission.
3. How we use information
- To create and manage your account and verify drivers and vehicles.
- To match transport requests with drivers, manage bookings and record payments.
- To show live van location to the parents and passengers on that trip, and send pickup and drop-off alerts.
- To connect in-app calls between a parent and the driver of their booking.
- To send service notifications (we do not send marketing notifications without your consent).
- To keep the service safe, prevent fraud and misuse, fix problems and improve the app.
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
4. Who we share it with
We share only what is needed, only with:
- The other side of your booking: parents see their driver’s name, photo, phone, vehicle details and live location during trips; drivers see the names, pickup/drop-off addresses and contact numbers of the passengers they carry.
- Schools and institutions linked to a booking, where needed for safe pickup and drop-off.
- Service providers that help us run VanWala, such as our web hosting provider, map services (OpenStreetMap tiles and OSRM routing, which receive map coordinates but no account details), and, where enabled, Google Firebase Cloud Messaging for delivering notifications.
- Authorities, when required by law or to protect the safety of a child, passenger or driver.
We never sell personal data and never share it with advertisers or data brokers.
5. How long we keep it
- Account, booking and payment records are kept while your account is active and for up to 12 months after it is closed (longer only where the law requires).
- Live location points from trips are kept for up to 90 days for safety and dispute handling, then deleted.
- Call records (time and duration only) are kept for up to 90 days. Call audio is never stored.
- Driver verification documents are deleted within 90 days after a driver account is closed.
6. Security
All data between the app/website and our servers is encrypted in transit using HTTPS. Passwords are stored only as secure hashes, app sign-in tokens are stored hashed on our server and in your phone’s secure storage, and access to personal data is limited to authorised staff. No system is 100% secure, but we work hard to protect your information.
7. Children’s privacy
VanWala accounts are created and managed by parents/guardians and drivers aged 18 or over. Children’s details (name, school, pickup address) are added by their parent or guardian only to arrange their transport. A parent may create a student login for their child; that login is linked to and controlled by the parent. We do not knowingly collect data directly from children under 13 without parental consent, and we do not use children’s data for advertising or profiling. Parents can review, update or delete their child’s information at any time from their account or by contacting us.
8. Your rights & choices
- Access & update: view and edit your profile, children and bookings in the app or website.
- Permissions: turn location, microphone or notifications off in your phone settings.
- Copy of your data: ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Deletion: ask us to delete your account and data (see below).
9. Deleting your account
You can ask us to delete your VanWala account and the personal data linked to it at any time:
- Send an email to support@vanwala.net with the subject “Delete my VanWala account”.
- Send it from the email address registered on your account (or include your registered mobile number) so we can confirm it is you.
- We will confirm and delete your account within 30 days.
What is deleted: your profile, photo, children/passenger details, saved addresses, location history, call records, notification tokens and (for drivers) verification documents. What may be kept: limited booking and payment records needed for accounting, fraud prevention or legal reasons, for up to 12 months, after which they are deleted or anonymised.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we make important changes we will update the date at the top and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.
11. Contact us
Questions or requests about your privacy? Contact us at support@vanwala.net or call +92 300 0000000.
VanWala · vanwala.net · Pakistan