Every day, millions of children ride school buses to go to school. However, the moment a child boards a bus, the safety of kids is something that every parent worry about.
The whole idea of the child’s safety being in the blind spot is a nerve-racking experience for every parent. Tragic incidents of accidents during boarding and alighting the school bus, fatal bus accidents on the road, unprecedented delays due to traffic or bus breakdowns and delays due to clubbing of bus routes- there are a million reasons that leave parents at the receiving end. Furthermore, being unable to track the school bus or contact the concerned person for timely information adds to every parent’s woe. Parents live in constant fear about the safety of their children till the time they return home.
Hence, it should be a prerogative of every school and school bus operator to reduce the anxiety of parents and ensure the absolute safety of children while commuting to school.
Here, digitization can play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of children on school buses. Incorporating digital solutions in various aspects of bus operation can elevate the safety parameters and optimize the operations in toto. Here are some ways where technology can help revolutionise the school bus operations:
Integrated Solution
Schools, bus operators and parents need to be on the same page at all times. A fully integrated transportation management system will allow bus operators to manage bus schedules, driver and student information, and routes in real-time while keeping the school and parents informed of any changes.
Real-Time Tracking
Integration of advanced GPS tracking technology ensures the safety of children in transit. Features such as geofencing further enhance the experience to deliver personalized, location-based notifications to parents at all times including live bus locations, alerts on bus arrival, departure and delays, boarding/alighting notifications, automated attendance, etc. This also helps parents to see which stop their child is at and how long it will take before they are dropped off at their stop. These end-to-end trip notifications enable parents to plan accordingly instead of needlessly waiting at the bus stop.
Data Consolidation
Bus operators can further leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline data collection processes and consolidate student details. This cloud-based system guarantees the availability of student information at all times and further ensures uninterrupted and automated alerts and notifications to parents.
Fleet Tracking System
Tracking technology can also notify bus operators in case of rash driving and route change by any bus driver and required action can be taken immediately. This gives complete control to bus operators on their fleet of buses and ensures that school buses are on their prescribed routes and maintains safe speed limits at all times. This will result in a safer environment for the children on the bus. It also enhances timely incident management in case of any problems.
Optimising Every Ride
The AI and ML-based technology also enables bus operators to plan their routes as per real-time road updates, current road conditions and upcoming travel schedules. This also helps reduce running cost and comply to the road regulations in the school transport industry. Furthermore, it ensures that buses do not meet with accidents or dangers along their route.
Towards a Safer Ride
Leveraging technology can provide parents with peace of mind knowing that their child is safe. It can also strengthen seamless communication between the school, the bus operators and parents making commutation to school a safe ride.
The author is the Co-founder & Director of Chakraview, School Bus Safety System.