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How School Bus Tracking Apps Can Be A Boon For Parents

Child safety during the school commute and within the school premises has been the the top most concern for parents, and this concern is not unjustified, considering the state of roads, standard of bus driving, and the increasing rate of crimes against children.

Thankfully, technology has come a long way: IOT enabled School Bus tracking system can help to ensure the safety of school children and also equip parents with a user-friendly App to be on top of things.

Here are 10 reasons why these apps can prove to be a boon for the parents:

1.Tracking Buses in Real Time:

The GPS device attached to the school bus pushes real time location information to a cloud -based software which overlays this on a mapping solution such as Google Maps.

This information can then be accessed by school authorities as well as parents via their respective apps in just one click. Instead of stressing needlessly when their kids get delayed – parents can open the app to check exactly where the bus has reached.

2.Optimized Routing:

With the route optimization function, only the most efficient route is chosen, avoiding roads with traffic jams, construction work or any other hazardous activity.

A change in the pre set route is automatically conveyed to the parents, who are assured that their kids are having a smooth commute. Besides, they can preview or replay the route anytime on their Apps.

3.Instant Alerts:

Parents can rest easy, knowing that the instant, there is any kind of irregularity, they will be notified. They can choose to receive push notifications every time there is a route deviation, unscheduled pick-ups or drop offs, delays due to traffic or weather conditions, or if the driver is over speeding / driving rashly.

4.Accurate ETA’s:

The bus stop, and especially the area around the bus itself, can be the most perilous for little children, who may not even know how to cross the road properly.

By knowing the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the bus beforehand, parents can make sure to be at the stop in time and minimize the time, children spend unattended at the bus stop.

5.Tracking Children using RFID:

Smart school buses and even schools can be equipped with RFID card scanners, while RFID chips are embedded in the children’s ID cards. These cards get swiped every time the child boards or deboards the bus, or enters the school or classroom.

Thus, parents can track their child individually at every stage of the commute, as well as inside the school premises, and get alert notifications – if the child misses a school bus, misses a class at school, enters a restricted area or leaves the premises during the school hours.

6.Two Factor Authentication:

This is an added layer of security, wherein the transport manager and the parent could coordinate the child’s whereabouts via their Apps: the parents would confirm when the student left home for school, and the transport manager would confirm when the child on-boarded and deboarded the bus at school, and the same for the return journey. The entire trip would be completed when the parent confirmed that the child is safely back home.

7.Connected Cameras:

The system also provides for the App’s access to high resolution video streaming from inside the bus. Thus, parents can check for themselves whether their child is traveling in a safe environment and if there is any bullying, rowdy behavior or other untoward incident in the bus.

8.Responsible Driving:

Parents would always be in the know about the driver’s driving habits – speeding incidents, harsh driving etc. and could even directly communicate with the driver through their App. This would inculcate a sense of responsibility in drivers to look out for the children and drive more safely.

9.Payment Integration:

Parents can easily generate school bus attendance reports for their child through the app. Instead of making manual payments to the transport company, parents can simply make online payments via their app which would get updated in the records, eliminating the need for paperwork and the chance of errors or oversight.

10.Better Communication:

Parents could be in regular touch with school authorities / teachers and transport managers. They could easily receive intimation regarding change in timings, special school trips, meetings etc.

They could also have the flexibility to change pick up or drop off points and can simply put in a request through the app and everyone concerned would be informed at once.

This exchange of information would facilitate better rapport and mutual trust, without the parents having to invest a lot of time or effort.

Conclusion:

Connected School Bus technology is fast becoming accessible to a wide range of schools, and the School Bus Tracking App can potentially herald a new era of greater visibility, involvement and peace of mind for the parents.

It’s now up to the schools as well as parents to take a stand and make the changes happen!

What do you think? Let us know your opinion by commenting below.

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