Routing is a concern for every transport manager, especially when it is related to school transportation. Furthermore, choosing the apt route for a school bus trip is a complex task. But, the technology provides an immense assistance to manage school bus fleets efficiently. Nevertheless, it is the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and you can witness its implementation in almost every field.
Let's check out how it affects and enhances the school transportation services:
Application of AI in school bus routing
AI is the next step towards the school bus routing process. However, the apps are becoming increasingly popular since it is user-friendly, convenient, and affordable. With the integration of AI, the tracking apps are able to relish highly advanced features. And, the predominant features include auto routing, auto optimization, and auto allocation.
Auto routing
Auto routing feature gathers details of the school bus routes, trips, pick up and drop points, vehicle, its seating capacity, vehicle assignments, and student profile from existing transportation records or registration details. The system will then automatically suggest the optimized route, trip, vehicle assignments, etc.
With the above details, transport managers will be able to select and confirm the route for their transportation. Here, the system optimizes the vehicle utilization, vehicle durability, running duration, and distance covered. Moreover, several issues like vehicle running costs, its running hours, etc. can be solved.
The dominant features of the auto routing feature include the following:
- Suggest optimized route and trip based on school timings, pick up point density, and bus seating capacity
- Carry out an efficiency check for the current school bus routes
- Select and confirm the appropriate route for the school bus trip
- Optimize vehicle utilization, durability, running duration, and distance
- Curtail overall vehicle running costs and vehicle running hours
Auto allocation
Auto allocation feature gathers student data, which consists of pick up point data and drop point data, and vehicle information.
- Select pickup point location depending on the student's residential address
- Display students' pick up point on the Google Maps
- Complete all the procedures of auto routing
- Optimize the pickup point with the system's historical data
- Redo the auto routing procedure if there is an issue
Auto optimization
Auto optimization involves the two processes- route optimization and pick up point optimization. Route optimization feature administers multiple pick up points in a single route, organize intermediate pick up points, and recognize the shortest route. Pick up point optimization feature exploit system intelligence, and historical data, and then select the apt pick up point for each school bus student accordingly.
- Selects the apt route which saves drivers' time and efforts
- Curtail vehicle running hours and fuel utilization
- Enhances vehicle durability
- Prevent zig zag movement of vehicles
- Determine the perfect road that lower the distance and running hours
- Elude routes having increased traffic
- Augment pick up point efficiency with the aid of transport managers and other transportation officials
- Facility to update pick up points
- Modify route based on the vehicle seating capacity.
- Instant updating of pick up point in case of relocation (with the utilization of recentre facility)
- Alter pick up point by considering the actual location
Here are 10 features you can find in an school bus route optimized tracking software, shown in the form of a Slideshare presentation:
As a matter of fact, all the AI enabled features assists you to manage the school bus routes efficiently and thus safeguard the credibility of school transportation services. With the assistance of the auto routing feature, you will be able to save your valuable money, time, and thereby ensure student safety.