Category: For Parents

7 Reasons School Bus Drivers Play a Vital Role in Student Safety

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

When it comes to school kids, everyone believes parents, teachers or his/her friends to be people who play the prime role in their lives. Seldom are the school bus drivers given credit for the work that they do. Being a guide for students from home to school and back was the duty of a bus driver of the past. His role has changed over the years and he is now one of the most important entities in a student’s life. A GPS tracking system along with a well trained driver has proved to be useful in more than one occasion.

 Just How Important is the Bus Driver?

  1. Drivers act as the link between school authority and the students outside of the school campus via the GPS tracker app. A driver helps to record and inform on students behavior on the bus. This way the school’s reputation is kept intact as the school is able to take disciplinary actions. With the help of a GPS school bus tracking system, he can do this in real-time.
  2. Drivers are the first line of defense against the smuggling of unwanted materials into the campus by the students. Drivers also act as security for students outside of the campus. While using a bus, the student’s life depends on how the driver conducts himself while driving.
  3. Drivers could provide orientation to new students. A driver can explain to students about the procedures and mode of operations of a school, thereby giving them prior idea of how the school functions.
  4. Drivers are the school’s eyes on the road. Hence they can notify the school authority about traffic blocks and other issue with the use of an effective school bus tracking system. This could help the schools to alert other bus accordingly to stay away from the informed routes.
  5. In some cases, drivers may know more about a student than the teachers. Teachers may teach a student for a few classes but a bus driver may have driven the same student for years through the same route.
  6. A driver’s network runs deeply through a society so his conduct is important as it reflects the values and virtues of the school administration in the public.
  7. A student first meets the driver in a day. So the driver is responsible for imparting positive atmosphere to the student so that his day begins on a positive note.

It is clear that a school bus driver has several duties entitled to him/her. Moreover the schools must also provide the driver with adequate training in order to handle different situations that he may have to face when on duty.

What Training Can Schools Give to Improve Driver’s Capabilities?

  • School vehicle drivers must be given training to manage the students on board the bus. Without the supervision of a teacher, or some other school authority, the children may misbehave. Hence such training will help the drivers become self-sufficient.
  • Drivers should be given an annual driving test to know if they are up to the mark. Moreover he must also be given a monthly psychological evaluation to ensure he is of a sound mind and is stress free. Regular health examinations are also a must. A driver of sound mind and body can ensure better student safety.
  • A driver must be trained to handle students of different age groups. Every student belonging to a different age group has different needs. A driver must be capable of realizing this and must act accordingly.
  • He should also be given special training to take care of disabled students, if the situation arises.
  • A driver should also be capable of handling hazardous situations like accidents, fire and so on, as his quick responses could turn out to be a life saver.

In the present scenario, where a lot of questions are frequently posed to student safety, the driver can play a pivotal role in helping the parents and teachers to take care of their wards.

Parents Happy With the Installation of GPS in School Buses

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Parents won’t always be free to take their child to school and take them back to home. Therefore, they have to depend on school buses to send their children to school. Almost all the schools now provide this transportation facility; either bus or some other vehicles. But all parents are concerned with the safety of their children. How can you ensure the safety of your child in their way to school? Global Positioning System (GPS) will help you to ensure the security.

Soon, the Government will make it mandatory for all school managements to install global positioning system (GPS) in school transport vehicles and parents are quite happy with this decision. Many schools already have GPS systems with tracking and monitoring system with equal involvement of parents and management.

With the increase in number of assault cases against children in school hours, parents are much worried about their safety. With the installation of GPS tracking system in the school buses, parents and school authorities can be sure of the travel route of the students and they will be informed in case any untoward incident takes place.

Advantages of GPS Tracking System

• Real- time information
Undoubtedly, one of the most advantageous features of GPS Tracking System is real-time information that one received about the location of the school bus. It helps you to know where the buses are, monitor pick up and drop off. You will be informed if any bus goes in a wrong route or if there is any unscheduled stop or delay.

• Student safety
Get notified if a student gets into a wrong bus or steps out at a wrong station. Even if the student misses his/her station, the parent will be informed. The exact location of the child can be identified with RFID tags attached to the devices.

• Monitoring the speed, managing the route and scheduling
If the vehicle is moving at a high speed, you will be informed and you can warn the school authorities to control it to avoid accidents. The authority can rely upon RFID school management software. The software can do routing and scheduling automatically. In that way, time and energy needed for rescheduling and re-routing can be saved.

• A solid record
It is possible for the school authorities to record all the activities and route of the school bus using the GPS tracking system.

What is there to worry?

The number of children abducted on their way to school and to home is increasing rapidly. Majority of the kidnapped children were found dead or had been missing. This is a dangerous situation. You cannot always have your children by your side. So finding a reliable solution to this is a necessity.
Edsys’ School bus Tracking System is a reliable solution to tackle this problem effectively. This will make parents really happy because it is so easy to use and syncs with the Parent Portal.

Once installed in your smart device having internet connection Parent Portal gives the following information:

• The travel history of their child at any given time
• A confirmation whether their children has reached school or home
• Monitor speed of school bus
• Time duration at each stop
• The reasons of delay such as break down, traffic jams, natural hazards etc.

Notifications can be enabled as per needs. For example, few minutes before the bus reaches in the morning, when the student boards the bus, when the student misses the bus or when the student reaches home etc.
The installation of GPS tracking systems with RFID software will surely reduce the number of crimes and attacks against students. Even if a child is abducted, it makes it easy for the authority to find the missing child with minimum time. Since the safety of the child is the major concern, the installation of a GPS tracker will make the parents really happy.

Why School Bus Stops are Danger Zones?

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Accidents relating to school students are something we hear every day. Thousands of innocent lives are lost, simply because we choose to remain ignorant. But, did you know that some of the most bizarre incidents actually take place outside of a school bus, especially school bus stops?

There are quite a lot of safety measures and regulations that needs to be followed by all the schools. But they are all ignored, simply because they are thought to be expensive or simply because schools find it a tedious task. A cost effective and reliable student tracking system is an apt solution for this. CBSE had recently taken measures to install GPS tracking systems on-board buses for safety of the students.

Some common issues a student faces at bus stops

  • Poor or lack of bus stop infrastructure

            Students are forced to board buses from unsafe locations, due to the lack of proper bus stops. In cases where a bus stop is available, poor infrastructure due to lack of maintenance, makes them unusable. This increases the risk to the lives of the children as they are more exposed to accidents and influenced by anti-social elements. With the availability of school bus tracking system parents can keep track of their children. They can get alerts in case of a child not boarding a bus.

  • Lack of security at bus stops

In most cases, students have to face the ordeal of boarding a bus alone. This poses a great risk for them. With a rise in cases related to kidnapping, molestation and child abuse, children’s safety at bus stops is every parent’s nightmare. A school bus GPS tracking system with school bus tracker app offers parents the luxury of tracking their school going children from their homes or even their places of work. Hence parents do the job of providing security, without even being physically present. CCTV cameras can also play a vital role in ensuring their safety.

  • Mom…I missed the bus!!!

            There might only be a few very who haven’t missed their school buses. When bus stops are far away from home, parents fail to realize what happens. By the time they know what has happened, it might be too late. So a GPS enabled school bus tracking system could be their eyes in the sky. The RFID technology in school bus trackers keep parents updated about their wards well being.

  • Poor Road safety at bus stops

School bus stops are considered to be special traffic zones. Other drivers have the duty of maintaining and following all traffic rules when near a bus stop. But in most cases it’s the exact opposite that happens. Over speeding, overtaking, excessive use of loud horns, not giving preference to the school bus at bus stops are some of the common practices which drivers tend to do. Also in places where a zebra crossing or school crossing is provided, drivers simply choose to ignore them.

Supreme Court directions for school bus and bus stop safety

Here are the directions issued by the Supreme Court to make school buses and their bus stops safer.

For the motor vehicles belonging to educational institutions:

  • The buses shall be painted in yellow colour with a 254 mm wide strip of dark blue paint going all around the body 178 mm below the windows.
  • The crest of the institution shall be painted below the dark blue strip in white colour on both sides of the vehicle between the rear and the front wheels.
  • The name of the institution shall be written on the front side either above or below the windscreen according to the space available.

For the School Bus Stop: Proper bus stop for the stoppage of school buses shall be marked on the main road as well as on the inner roads of various sectors/colonies. Due demarcation and sign boards exhibiting school bus stop shall be displayed at that point.

For the Pedestrian Crossings: Pedestrian crossings (zebra crossing) shall be provided on all the roads which are in front of all the schools located on the main or inner roads in all the towns of the states. Any person who offends the law with regard to pedestrian crossing and does not stop the vehicle prior to the pedestrian crossing provided for the children to go to school, if so needed in that area, shall be deemed to have committed a traffic offence and shall be liable to be punished in accordance with law.

School Bus Tracking : An Effective Way To Tackle Safety Concerns

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

Anything is possible with advancing technology in this era, that too within a short period of time itself. Geo Positioning System or GPS, is one such technology, which is very effective, in case you want to track locations. The school bus tracking software was born out of the very same idea, with the motive of tracking school buses and to put an end to worries regarding the students' safety during their journey to school and the ride back home.

 

Also Read:

 How School Bus Tracking Apps Can Help Parents

With this state-of-the-art technology, it is possible to track students using the school bus service from their boarding points to drop-off points. Each student will be provided a unique RFID tag which needs to be swiped when entering and leaving the bus. Once the tag is read, parents or school authorities will be notified via SMS or Android/iOS push notification and then, the students can be easily tracked in real-time from the mobile device of the parents or school authorities using the Parent App application or the web based application.

 

 Features

 

Real-time Tracking –Keeps parents and school authorities updated real-time about the location of the bus with the help of GPS satellites. It helps them know in case of any issues or the reason, in case of any delay. Parents also get to know pickup and drop information real-time.

Notifications –Parents and school authorities can get notified by SMS, Android push notification or iOS push notifications. It helps them to stay aware of the whereabouts of the students.

  • When there are bus delays
  • If their child boards the wrong bus
  • In case of emergencies
  • Unscheduled stops

Generation of Reports –The software generates accurate and effective reports on the information such as travel distance, travel history, travel speed, stops, etc.

 

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Why School Bus Tracking Software is Not a Villain like Parents Think?

Simple, Clutter-free Interface –A software is effective only if the interface is easy to understand and use. The School Bus Tracker has a simple interface with six menu options. These options show running vehicles, available vehicles, pickups assigned, pickups unassigned, off duty drivers and an option for other vehicles, making it easier for the users to access all the information from one common point.

 

Benefits

 

  • School bus routes can be scheduled automatically and accurately, thus saving time and energy.
  • Parents and school authorities no longer have to worry about the child's safety as they get real-time updates about the child's whereabouts.
  • Have a clear picture of worker hours and performance of the drivers.
  • Cost savings by optimizing. Reducing the need for even one bus can save you a lot.

The easy-to-use features of the School Bus Tracking software are sure to benefit the effective management of school buses. Enhance the reputation of your school by adapting this efficient and feature-rich software.

 

Advantages of GPS Tracking System

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

A properly integrated real-time GPS tracking system goes a long way in ensuring the safety of school children while travelling in the school bus. It keeps you in the loop in real-time, notifying any unusual activity

The School Bus Tracker has a fully integrated GPS tracking system. Let’s see what the advantages the School Bus Tracker provides with its comprehensive tracking system.

Real-time Information

Undoubtedly the most obvious advantage, real-time information helps you know where your buses are, monitor pick-up and drop-off. You will get information if one of the buses goes off route or if there are unscheduled stops, etc.

Communication

Two-way communication is a part of the software, and allows you to get in touch with the bus driver in case of any anomalies.

Improved Accuracy

The real-time information provided by the GPS system is saved. This info can be used to improve your map data, your routes and planning in future.

Student Safety

Get notified if a student steps into the wrong bus or if a student misses a stop and more. The primary aim of the whole software is undoubtedly the safety of students. You can enhance safety by monitoring speed, creating geo-fences and re-routing buses away from accidents.

Savings

Control costs by reducing fuel usage, observing on-board engine diagnostics, automating driver logs/timesheets and more.

State of the art Software & Hardware

The School Bus Tracker has a simple, user-friendly interface designed and developed in-house. We use high quality hardware from Taximeter.in, leading hardware provider of vehicle tracking systems.

Your Child’s Accurate Location, From Your Smart Device!

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

What if you come home one day late from a busy day at work and discover that your child has not come back from school? You will probably call the school first to enquire whether he/she has left school or not. If you find out that the kid has left school, you try to remember the names and numbers of his/her closest friends. You would be in panic mode by now. After a mad scramble, hopefully your child might be found somewhere safely.

But you shouldn't be going through such hugely stressful moments. You and every parent deserve better than that. At a time when technology seemingly does the impossible on a daily basis, you expect a solution or a preventive method for such incidents.

We identified that the best way to ensure your child's safety is to employ school bus tracking. This way, the children doesn't lose their privacy unlike 24 hour tracking facilities. At the same time, parents stay aware of their children's accurate location when it matters.

How

Does It Work?

The working is quite simple. Your child will have an RFID tag attached with his school identity card. When he enters the school bus, the RFID reader in the bus reads the tag. If he doesn't get in, parents, the bus driver and school authorities are notified. Once he gets in, there is a GPS tracker that is set in the school bus. It sends signals to the satellite. From the satellite, real time location and other information such as bus speed, traffic, etc are fed to the school bus tracker mobile and web applications.

If there is an unscheduled stop or if the bus stops at a stop for more than the usual time, parents get notified. Once the child reaches his school, the RFID tag will be read and you will be able to know your child has reached school safely. The same process is repeated in the evening too, when your child leaves from school and travels by the school bus to home.

Notifications

Undoubtedly, notifications play a vital role for this process to work smoothly. The notifications are sent to your mobile device. If it is an Android or iOS device, you just need to have our ParentApp in order to get the push notifications. Also, you can open the app and see your child's real time location with stunning accuracy anytime you want to. If yours is a basic phone, you get notified through sms.

Conclusion

The school bus tracker is a software-hardware combo that your child's school should have. It is beneficial to the school authorities for driver management, routing and planning as well. Our children's safety is what matters the most to us. The school bus tracker is a convenient system to do so. So why not try it out.

7 Myths About GPS School Bus Tracking Systems

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

GPS or Geo Positioning System is a satellite based navigation that has been around for decades. This technology has found several applications in different fields. There are cab and taxi services which are managed entirely using GPS Vehicle Management Systems. But despite all this, people are still reluctant to install GPS School Bus Tracking Systems due to some common myths. Let us take a look at some of the myths and uncover the truth

Myth #1

GPS School Vehicle Tracking Systems are about invading student’s privacy by monitoring them 24/7.

Truth

The main aim of the GPS vehicle tracking systems is to ensure students’ safety. Are children’s locations tracked? Yes. Are each and every movement of the students monitored 24/7? No. It is only the locations of the children that are tracked, that too when they are in the school bus. Apart from that school managements get the benefits of reduced fuel and maintenance costs.

Myth #2

Drivers hate GPS vehicle tracking system

Truth

Your drivers have a lot less to worry if GPS vehicle tracking systems are implemented. There are notifications sent to both parents and the school management if the child doesn’t get onto the correct school bus or if he doesn’t get onto the bus at all. In case of an accident or a mishap, the driver will be able to get better roadside assistance. Above all, there will be solid data for their monthly performance, and therefore they are not required to submit paper work.

Myth #3

GPS Tracking Systems are very difficult to install and use

Truth

GPS systems used to be large, bulky and expensive. But now, they are very compact and easily installable. They often come with simple and intuitive web interfaces. Reputed GPS tracking system providers such as Edsys provides you knowledgeable technicians who will install the hardware for you. Also, they will be available anytime you have some service issue as well.

Myth #4

I can track my school bus fleet with mobile phones. So GPS tracking systems are not required.

Truth

Despite being revolutionary gadgets, smart devices haven’t still reached the point where they excel at everything. A GPS tracking system provides real time tracking with loads of data that help both the school managements and parents. Statistics can include the number and duration of stops, mileage and fuel consumption, routes and speeding patterns. Moreover, smart devices are less reliable, as people might even forget to switch on the GPS

Myth #5

All GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems are equal

Truth

GPS vehicle tracking systems have different variations according to their features and functions. There are barebones GPS systems that plainly show the real time location alone. There are also comprehensive systems that provide detailed statistics and other data. The hardware and software of each system can be vastly different too. For instance, Edsys uses hardware from Taximeter, one of the best providers of taxi meters and fare meters in the country. In addition to the difference in the hardware and software, there is also difference in the relationship a provider maintains, and that can make all the difference.

Myth #6

They are too costly to install in our Institution

Truth

There are two main benefits to a comprehensive GPS vehicle tracking system – safety of the children and cost savings for the school management. The cost savings usually exceed the cost of installing a GPS system. These savings are repeated every year without you changing the GPS tracking system. The data provided by School bus tracking systems allows you to control or remove inefficiency in routing and planning, excessive overtime, side trips, reckless driving, excess engine idling and more.

Myth #7

This tracking system is relatively new and hence has a lot of shortcomings

Truth

Both GPS and RFID technologies used for school bus tracking were introduced decades ago and there are success stories about the system from all over the world. In reality, standalone GPS systems, which were once a rage among travellers, are fast losing popularity to smart devices. But as the reliability of mobile devices as tracking equipment is questionable and impractical on a large scale, they are not ideal options. GPS vehicle tracking systems are far more reliable and feature rich with solid support. So they are ideal for education institutions.

GPS School Bus Tracking System – How Effective It Can Be?

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Are you imagining dangerous scenarios once your child's school bus is a little late? It is quite natural. But it would be easier if there was a work around. It is said that there is a solution for all the issues in the world. This issue is solvable too.

Implementing a GPS based tracking system to track school buses is an effective solution to your concern regarding your child's safety. school Bus Tracking is effective because it:

Addresses Safety Concerns

With school bus tracking in place, it is time for the parents to quit worrying whether their child has reached school safely. School Bus Tracking provides real-time updates to parents and school authorities about the student's location using RFID tags and GPS.

Considering its simplicity and utility, this vehicle tracking system is a boon for school authorities as well as parents. Notifications are sent for unscheduled stops, and the real time location can be checked from the system's mobile application; thus quickly finding solutions during emergency situations.

Makes Managing

The RFID school management system would be of great use to school authorities. The software does the routing and scheduling automatically, thus conserving time and energy needed for re-routing and re-scheduling in case of any issues.

Improves Efficiency & Savings

Routing and planning manually can sometimes lead to errors, thereby causing waste of energy, time and money. Having an RFID vehicle management system in place can help in tackling such errors.

By having the RFID vehicle management system, it is possible to calculate the distance covered by the school bus, the fuel consumption etc. Also, you'll be able to analyse the school bus drivers' performance.

Acts as a Solid Record

It is possible for the school authorities to create a record of the activities of each bus of a school by using a GPS vehicle tracking system. Also, if the bus takes a wrong route or if the student has boarded the wrong bus or if he/she goes missing, the parents and school authorities will be notified in a short period of time, helping them to track the student immediately.

The RFID school management system is surely a way to ease the tensions of the parents and the school authorities regarding the whereabouts of students.

Due to the effectiveness and the benefits, the Vehicle Tracking System is on the rise in Dubai these days. To lessen the worries regarding students' safety concerns, it's time for your schools, as well, to start implementing the system.