diff --git a/.tmp/data.db b/.tmp/data.db
index 4afa4f2..59d5d59 100644
Binary files a/.tmp/data.db and b/.tmp/data.db differ
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index dfa380c..e93403c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     "@strapi/plugin-graphql": "^5.1.0",
     "@strapi/plugin-users-permissions": "5.1.0",
     "@strapi/strapi": "5.1.0",
+    "@strapi/utils": "5.1.0",
     "better-sqlite3": "11.3.0",
     "react": "^18.0.0",
     "react-dom": "^18.0.0",
diff --git a/src/api/booking/content-types/booking/schema.json b/src/api/booking/content-types/booking/schema.json
index a1006f7..285ed1f 100644
--- a/src/api/booking/content-types/booking/schema.json
+++ b/src/api/booking/content-types/booking/schema.json
@@ -7,10 +7,16 @@
     "displayName": "Booking"
   },
   "options": {
-    "draftAndPublish": true
+    "draftAndPublish": false
   },
   "pluginOptions": {},
   "attributes": {
+    "ref_number": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "unique": true,
+      "required": true,
+      "configurable": false
+    },
     "from": {
       "type": "datetime",
       "required": true
diff --git a/src/api/booking/controllers/booking.ts b/src/api/booking/controllers/booking.ts
index 8f4af8e..2e42c46 100644
--- a/src/api/booking/controllers/booking.ts
+++ b/src/api/booking/controllers/booking.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,100 @@
  * booking controller
  */
 
-import { factories } from '@strapi/strapi'
+import { factories } from '@strapi/strapi';
+import { errors } from '@strapi/utils';
 
-export default factories.createCoreController('api::booking.booking');
+export default factories.createCoreController('api::booking.booking', ({ strapi }) => ({
+    // Validate the availability of a car within the following dates
+    async validateAvailability(ctx) {
+        const sanitizedQuery = await this.sanitizeQuery(ctx);
+
+        const { from, to, car } = sanitizedQuery;
+        try {
+            return strapi.service('api::booking.booking').validateAvailability(from, to, car);
+        } catch (err) {
+            throw new errors.HttpError('Not available');
+        }
+    },
+
+    // Extend the create booking method
+    async create(ctx, next) {
+
+        // Validate availablity
+        await this.validateAvailability(ctx, next);
+
+        // Before creation generate reference number
+        const refNumber = strapi.service('api::booking.booking').generateReferenceNumber();
+
+        const { car, ...restBody } = ctx.request.body.data;
+
+        const nextCtx = {
+            ...ctx,
+            query: {}, // Clean the query to avoid any conflict
+            request: {
+                ...ctx.request,
+                body: {
+                    ...ctx.request.body,
+                    data: {
+                        ...restBody,
+                        ref_number: refNumber,
+                    }
+                },
+            },
+        };
+
+        console.log(nextCtx.request.body)
+
+        // Call the native create booking method
+        const { data } = await super.create(nextCtx);
+        const { documentId } = data;
+
+        // Link booking to car
+        const bookedCar = await strapi.service('api::booking.booking').linkBookingToCar(documentId, car);
+
+        // Link booking to user
+        const customer = await strapi.service('api::booking.booking').linkBookingToUser(documentId, ctx.state.user.documentId);
+
+        console.log('bookedCar', bookedCar);
+        console.log('customer', customer);
+        const { ref_number } = data;
+
+        console.log('data', data);
+
+        // try {
+        //     // Send a confirmation email
+        //     await strapi.plugins['email'].services.email.send({
+        //         to: ctx.state.user.email,
+        //         subject: `[#${ref_number}]Booking confirmation`,
+        //         text: `Your booking number #${ref_number} has been confirmed`
+        //     });
+        // } catch (err) {
+        //     console.error('Error sending email', err);
+        // }
+
+        return {
+            data: {
+                ...data,
+                car: bookedCar,
+                customer,
+            },
+        };
+    },
+
+    // Method 3: Replacing a core action with proper sanitization
+    // async find(ctx) {
+    //     // validateQuery (optional)
+    //     // to throw an error on query params that are invalid or the user does not have access to
+    //     await this.validateQuery(ctx);
+
+    //     // sanitizeQuery to remove any query params that are invalid or the user does not have access to
+    //     // It is strongly recommended to use sanitizeQuery even if validateQuery is used
+    //     const sanitizedQueryParams = await this.sanitizeQuery(ctx);
+    //     const { results, pagination } = await strapi.service('api::restaurant.restaurant').find(sanitizedQueryParams);
+
+    //     // sanitizeOutput to ensure the user does not receive any data they do not have access to
+    //     const sanitizedResults = await this.sanitizeOutput(results, ctx);
+
+    //     return this.transformResponse(sanitizedResults, { pagination });
+    // }
+}));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/api/booking/routes/booking.ts b/src/api/booking/routes/booking.ts
index 68165e5..4eeb982 100644
--- a/src/api/booking/routes/booking.ts
+++ b/src/api/booking/routes/booking.ts
@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@
 
 import { factories } from '@strapi/strapi';
 
-export default factories.createCoreRouter('api::booking.booking');
+
+
+export default factories.createCoreRouter('api::booking.booking');
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/api/booking/routes/utils.ts b/src/api/booking/routes/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fc5234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/booking/routes/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+
+export default  {
+    routes: [
+      {
+        method: 'POST',
+        path: '/bookings/validate-availability',
+        handler: 'api::booking.booking.validateAvailability',
+        config: {
+          auth: false,
+        },
+      },
+    ],
+  };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/api/booking/services/booking.ts b/src/api/booking/services/booking.ts
index e956352..644e700 100644
--- a/src/api/booking/services/booking.ts
+++ b/src/api/booking/services/booking.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,58 @@
  * booking service
  */
 
-import { factories } from '@strapi/strapi';
+import { factories, type Data } from '@strapi/strapi';
 
-export default factories.createCoreService('api::booking.booking');
+export default factories.createCoreService('api::booking.booking', ({ strapi }) => ({
+    
+    // Generate unique reference number
+    generateReferenceNumber(): string {
+        return Date.now().toString(36).toUpperCase();
+    },
+
+
+    // Validate the availability of a car within the following dates
+    async validateAvailability(from: string, to: string, id: Data.DocumentID): Promise<boolean> {
+        const bookings = await strapi.documents('api::booking.booking').findMany({
+            filters: {
+                car: {
+                    documentId: id
+                },
+                from: { $lt: new Date(to) },
+                to: { $gt: new Date(from) }
+            },
+        });
+
+        console.log('bookings', bookings);
+
+        return !bookings.length;
+    },
+
+    // Link booking to car
+    async linkBookingToCar(booking: Data.DocumentID, car: Data.DocumentID): Promise<unknown> {
+        // Link booking to car
+        return strapi.documents('api::car.car').update({
+            documentId: car,
+            data: {
+                bookings: {
+                    connect: [booking],
+                },
+            },
+            status: 'published',
+        });
+    },
+
+    // Link booking to user
+    async linkBookingToUser(booking: Data.DocumentID, user: Data.DocumentID): Promise<unknown> {
+        return strapi.documents('plugin::users-permissions.user').update({
+            documentId: user,
+            data: {
+                bookings: {
+                    connect: [booking],
+                },
+            },
+            status: 'published',
+        });
+    },
+
+}));
diff --git a/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts b/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
index ee61437..8f65c53 100644
--- a/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
+++ b/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@ export interface ApiBookingBooking extends Struct.CollectionTypeSchema {
     displayName: 'Booking';
   };
   options: {
-    draftAndPublish: true;
+    draftAndPublish: false;
   };
   attributes: {
+    ref_number: Schema.Attribute.String &
+      Schema.Attribute.Required &
+      Schema.Attribute.Unique;
     from: Schema.Attribute.DateTime & Schema.Attribute.Required;
     to: Schema.Attribute.DateTime;
     car: Schema.Attribute.Relation<'manyToOne', 'api::car.car'>;