School bus tracking Archives

6 Years Of School Bus Routing Software

Posted on April 29, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

School bus routing is an uphill task for all schools. Scheduling and planning of bus routes is the most important factor in increasing the efficiency of the school transportation system.

Proper routing of buses reduces operational costs of the bus fleet, fuel costs, driver expenses. Over and above it makes the job of the school administrator easier.

During the past years, bus routes have been decided and charted out manually by the school transport officers. With the increase of students and the corresponding increase of buses and the numerous pick-up locations, this task had become cumbersome.

Technological innovations and inventions have made the process of bus routing simpler for everyone concerned.

School Bus Routing Software

EdsysPvt Ltd, an education software developer, launched software solutions for schools, transport providers and school districts. These software solutions have been developed for different applications with characteristics unique to each.

School-Transport-Software--Ensure-enhanced-student-safety

The TrackSchoolBus software was basically developed as a bus routing application. With developments in technology, this software was upgraded to include features to increase the efficiency of the school transport system. This is a look into the 5-year progress of the software.

2014

TrackSchoolBus software was launched by EdysPvt Ltd. in 2014 as an application for tracking school buses. Version 1 was an independent app and was one of a kind for schools during its introduction. The software was widely accepted in the Middle East and South East Asia.

The software was designed to track buses and students in real-time. This proved to be of great help to transport managers and school personnel.

Data was collected automatically and routes were created by the software system.They could view the progress of the buses along the routes, real-time location of students and buses on a computer screen.

2015

An upgraded version of the application was introduced as Version 2.0 in 2015. This application was developed with additional features benefitting parents and schools.

The new system with an RFID card reader was integrated with the GPS tracker. The RFID card reader was a boon to the school bus drivers, parents and school authorities.

The student attendance can be recorded automatically by the RFID card reader as each child boarded the bus.

The school administration was benefitted as they could get the details of the students travelling on each route on a daily basis without the tiresome procedure of manual counting.

Parents were benefitted the most as they could get instant alerts on their mobile phones when their child gets on and off the bus.This app helped reduce the anxiety of the parents as they were able to track the whereabouts of their child in real-time.

The application gained wider acceptance in the Middle East and South East Asia.

2016

In 2016, TrackSchoolBus Version 3.0 was released with a multitude of additional features. The major feature was the availability of data for the different users on the web and all mobile phone apps. The customer base expanded to other countries across the globe including South Africa.

Version 3.0 was developed as a comprehensive solution to the various problems encountered in the school transportation systems. It was designed based on knowledge gained from actual experiences of users.

The software supports multiple user profiles such as parents, school authorities, teachers and transport managers. Additional features were added to the parent and school apps. The access to details by teachers and bus attendants was newly introduced.

The parent app allowed parents to apply for leave without actually contacting the school. A message sent on the app is communicated to all departments concerned – drivers and attendants, teachers, school administration. This app allows them to communicate with the school management and drivers whenever necessary.

The most helpful aspect of the teacher app is the daily attendance marking. Teachers can track the students who travel by each bus. They receive notifications when the student arrives in school. Teachers can mark attendance for each period. The attendance history for a day or a period can be retrieved with ease.

Drivers can view the assigned routes, the number of trips in a day/shift, pick up and drop off points, time schedules. They do not have to remember the details. A trip is marked completed only when all students have alighted from the bus. Quick changing of routes and pick-up points is possible with the driver console app.

It also enables the bus nannies/attendants to access student attendance through a separate app. The manifest feature provides them with daily routes and student details. This app helps to locate the pick- up or drop off point.

The contact detail of the student along with the image of the student appears on the app. They receive alerts when the child gets on and off the bus. They are notified when students are absent so that the route can be revised. Pick up points can also be updated on any change required.

2017

The TrackSchoolBus version 3.5 was released in 2017. This version saw added features which aided School transport providers. Command-centre was introduced as an add-on.

Artificial intelligence was incorporated into the system. Changing route with a simple swipe was included as a feature in route optimization.Alerts can be set up for different aspects of student safety.

The software found new markets in Africa, Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East. Franchisees were appointed in many places like Dubai and Netherlands.

This upgraded version was designed with school transport providers in mind. It collects data of students and pick up points automatically and sets routes.

The software can be used to deploy drivers and attendants on specific routes. The unique feature of nanny management enables in assigning trips, recording attendance etc. Duty roster feature helps in dividing tasks among the fleet members.

The trip management feature enables transport providers to assign vehicles to trip routes, monitor vehicles in real-time. Auto-routing and auto-optimization features help in saving fuel and reduce vehicle expenses.

The feature of parking management allows the tracking of a vehicle when it is parked. Parking slots can be assigned automatically.

This software provides free Wi-Fi to students on board the buses and unique cards for students, drivers, attendants and vehicles.

The application can be used by accounts departments for direct bus fare collection. The software can create an invoice and payment can be made from anywhere at all times. Payments will be secure and the process saves time.

The unique command-centre feature gives a comprehensive view of all planning and operational data. A centralized system gathers information, processes and analyses each function.

Details of vehicle maintenance requirements, expenses and inspection dates can be obtained. This saves time for school transport provider and allows him to concentrate on other areas of importance.

2018

Version 4.0 of the TrackSchoolBus was launched in 2018. Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the application it featured as the best school bus routing software. The additional features in this app catered to School Districts and School Transport Providers.

This App was designed forSchool Transport Managers to manage the fleet with ease and efficiency. Vehicle safety and maintenance alerts, push notifications in cases of emergencies, planning of transportation budget are features incorporated in addition to bus tracking and trip scheduling.

The transport department is alerted when any vehicle cannot be tracked. This helps in immediate identification of the reason-mechanical failure, accidents, traffic blocks- and deployment of another bus to take over the route so that least inconvenience is caused.

The fleet management app helps to keep track of the drivers,bus attendants, routes, trips, time schedules. It takes care of the fleet maintenance – recording fuel consumption, programming vehicle maintenance schedules etc. The optimization of routes brings about a reduction in maintenance costs, thus increasing productivity and efficiency.

The school district transport software simplifies the management of a large number of buses from different transport providers. This app is compatible with all types of vehicles- school van, mini-bus or a full-size bus.

This software analyses the performance of drivers which helps in rating and motivating them to enhance their performance.

Parent concerns, bus breakdowns, student missing etc. are notified to the concerned users enabling action to be taken immediately. Accountability for each user is well-defined.

Safe and secure bus fare collection is simplified by integrating with online payment.

This app ensures higher efficiency attained through optimized operations. The reduction in manual resources increases the return on investment.

2019

In 2019, TrackSchoolBus’s enhanced version 5.0 was introduced for better efficiency and productivity.

Devices like CalAmp and Streamax, Dahua was integrated into this updated system.

In new version, we have different dashboards for students, trips, vehicles, alerts and All-in-One Dashboard for the transport manager.

Users can search and view the status of the vehicle in the map, can view the live status of Shuttle Trips which includes trip progress, seat availability and currently seating student count along with attendance details.

We have categorized the general setting menu for the convenient use and added a few more setting options for the user in the new version.

Users can create new user roles based on requirements and control access for the user profiles.

Schools can mark the school premises using school geo-fence.

Additional features in setting like integrating settings were added, so the school authorities can integrate SMS gateway, Payment Gateway, Cashless system, etc by themselves.

The school can create five types of trips as scheduled, instant, shuttle, excursion, stay back trips. In the earlier version, these are managed separately, now all can manage in a single point

Auto data collection method was enhanced.

Access Rights Management was introduced in which the school can create user roles like receptionist or any other supporting staff to control system access.

The system can automatically calculate the bus fare based on the geo-fence and payment period. The school can also have the provision to enter the bus fare charges per single trip as well.

The new version also allows the school authorities to set the “Night Parking Time” where the system will check the current location of all the vehicles at that time and report to the transport manager.

The new version allows the schools to purchase features and enable as per their requirement. Since all the schools doesn’t want to use all the features, the schools have the freedom to select the features and add-ons as per their need.

The parents can decide what notifications need to be received in a push notification, email, SMS(if the school enables SMS option).

The main advantage of the updated version is that it focused on self-learning thus reducing dependency on us.

We provide a download section for all supporting documents like User guides for each module (including School, transport, manager, parents, driver, etc) and hardware documents, configuration tools, etc.

Each module with supporting documents is readily available in the system to be downloaded.

The TrackSchoolBus is an outstanding school bus routing software. The features of auto-route optimization and auto-allocation make it the best school bus route planner. The added features of fee collection, fleet management, and multi-user access make it the most widely used bus routing software world-wide.

9 Ways To Reduce School Bus Transportation Costs

Posted on April 24, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

Schools and school districts are constantly on the look-out to reduce operational costs wherever possible. The reduced budgets given to schools prompt them to cut costs in areas that do not directly affect classroom studies. School Bus transportation costs thus become a target when school administrations seek to curtail their expenses.

Bus transportation costs depend on the age of the fleet, wages, maintenance expenditure,fuel-consumption, insurance charges. This comprises of 80% of the total cost.Capital costs include purchase cost of new vehicles and cost of fleet replacement. Operating a school bus fleet at optimal efficiency has a direct impact on the costs saved.

Methods to reduce school bus transportation costs

1. Reducing the number of buses

Operating a fleet of school buses is expensive. The best method to reduce costs is to reduce the number of buses in operation. Trimming the fleet automatically decreases driver wages, fuel consumption, wear and tear of vehicles etc. These factors contribute enormously in saving costs.

Efficient route management is the most practical way to lower costs without hampering the quality of service provided.The best model in cost-cutting serves to get students to school efficiently while optimizing transport times.

2. Route management

Transporting pupils to schools is a complex matter. Technological advances have helped school administrators tackle the issue with considerable ease. Software systems are used to develop bus routes. Some schools still do the route mapping manually.

Schools have to periodically review their bus routes in terms of the actual number of students using the bus and the total time utilized. Simple adjustments to the previous year’s routes will not help in lowering operational costs.

School administrators cut backs on stops and routes to stay within the budget. Minor changes in operations like minimizing trips and routes, often result in great advantages.

3. Trip planning

The number of students at each bus-stop, stop locations and bus capacities has a direct impact on the charting of bus routes. Minimizing the number of trips minimizes the number of buses required.

Trips can be linked together on a single bus route if school start and finish timings are altered slightly. The elementary, middle and high school start and dismissal times are fixed to fall within a certain time slot.

Then it becomes possible to link more trips together on a single bus. This decreases the number of buses required in total. The optimal combination of alternate bell timings and trips results in saving costs and increasing efficiency.

4. Route planning

A method used to increase operational efficiency is route planning. A single route is designed for children of different schools in a school district. Trips of different schools are combined to form one route.

A single bus is assigned to this specific route. This reduces the time the buses run without students on board as well as the number of buses on each route. Each route becomes longer but serves more trips on one single route.

This minimizes the number of routes resulting in lower operational costs. Pollution caused by diesel exhaust fumes is reduced to a large extent. This model is viable where schools fall under the purview of one governing authority and the services of a centralized bus company is utilized. Private schools which own their own buses might not be open to this model.

5. Walking School Bus

‘Walking School Bus’ is a new concept which has been adopted by neighborhoods in the US. When rerouting to optimize costs, some of the routes closer to the schools get eliminated. In such cases, students along those routes group together and walk to school under the supervision of an adult.

The parents and children like the idea of walking as it is healthy. Students feel energetic and fresher. Most often students get to school quicker as school buses normally take more time picking up children on their routes.

These students can either walk or bike to school. This enables students staying further away, disabled or otherwise-able students to avail bus services .Student safe zones have to be ensured.

6. Alternative fuel vehicles

States and cities in the US spend roughly $15 million annually transporting children to school. Diesel, that powers most of the buses, is now very expensive.

Governmental regulations on cutting down the pollution, forces one to adopt alternative fuel sources for running vehicles. Propane, CNG and Electric vehicles are available options. Hybrid diesel-electric vehicles, though expensive, are used by some schools.

Cost of vehicles running on alternative fuel is high as compared to the cost of diesel engine vehicles. There is a significant reduction in fuel costs. Air pollution due to diesel exhaust fumes is drastically reduced leaving lesser carbon footprint. Better utilization of the buses can make it viable in the long run.

The buses in the existing fleet can be retrofitted with alternative fuel engines. This can help reduce the initial capital expenditure. When deciding to retrofit, the age of the vehicle has to be taken into account,to gain maximum benefit.

7. Maintenance cost

Regular maintenance is needed to keep the buses safe on the road. Less number of school buses on the road means lesser maintenance of vehicles. Savings on parts, supplies and labor is considerable when the number of buses is minimal.

A maintenance program that can extend the life of buses is essential.Periodical regular maintenance and scheduled preventive maintenance will reduce the incidence of unexpected breakdowns and the costs associated.

Schools and transport companies need to have policies on disposal of buses that cannot serve efficiently.

8. Staff expenses

A reduction in the number of buses will require less number of staff to man them. The reduced number of drivers brings about a huge saving in wages. Efficient routing and time management will reduce overtime costs.

Fleet management software provides real-time feedback and comprehensive reporting enabling safe and efficient pupil transportation.

Using digital software systems for routing, GPS systems for locations, RFID readers for bus attendance; CCTV to monitor bus discipline reduces the need for administrators handling these functions manually.

The one-time capital expenditure to install the technology and equipment required will considerably save on otherwise recurring expenses.

9. Down-side of cost reduction

Re-routing and elimination of routes will leave a good number of students without transport. Cutting bus routes without proper plans regarding student safety will cause adverse effects.

When bus stops or routes are eliminated parents react with anger. They are concerned about the dangers involved when their wards walk or cycle to school. Parents then opt to drop them to school in their cars.

About36 cars are needed to transport an equivalent bus-load of students. This proportionately increases traffic congestion and corresponding air pollution on the roads.

The incidence of accidents is higher among cars increasing the risk of safety. School buses meet with fewer accidents. Their big sizes allow them to withstand damage better on an impact. School buses are considered to be 13 times safer than cars.

School buses in the US alone transport 25 million students, travelling distances of approximately 4 billion miles each year. Decreasing school budgets and rising fuel prices necessitates minimizing school bus operational costs.

It is worth the effort to stream-line the operations to ensure safer transportation of students at minimal costs to the school.

Real Time Bus Tracking App – 12 Things You Need to Know

Posted on August 10, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

A real time bus tracking app will allow you to determine the precise real-time location of your kids and their school buses. It also has the ability to record location of school bus at specified intervals.

Nowadays, all these apps have been designed to be compatible with all mobile platforms and other high-end widgets.

Running a school bus is not an easy task, particularly if you are in charge of handling more number of school buses. You will have to take much effort in knowing the exact location of your school buses.

This means that you have to get yourself familiar with the features of a real time bus tracking app before heading out to use one.

This blog will inform you about 15 things you must know about the real time bus tracking app.

1. Lessen Operating Costs

Real-time bus tracking app comes equipped with a good fleet administration system or GPS tracking system. This will allow you to decide the shortest as well as the best routes for your school buses.

It will definitely aid you considerably in reducing your school bus fuel consumption, which, in turn, will allow you to cut needless overtime expenses.

2. Save Your Time

You can save much of your time by tracking school buses in real time. There are instances when your school bus gets trapped in the traffic jam for hours.

With the best school bus tracking software, you will be capable of guiding your drivers to shun the hectic routes in a real-time basis, thus saving much of your time as well as the riding time of your school bus.

3. Decrease Downtime

Dipping downtime plays a vital role in improving the output as well as the prosperity of your school bus management. The real-time school bus tracking through an app will aid you significantly in making knowledgeable decisions and plan trips more resourcefully.

4. Make the Most of the Resources

Real-time school bus tracking apps not only help the parent but also help with the school authorities with monitoring your buses and getting comprehensive insights on driver performance, fuel utilization, engine inactiveness, etc.

This will result in using resources efficiently without wasting more amount of money.

5. Maximize the Bus Use

School authorities can take the maximum advantage of your school buses by tracking school bus in real time.

This will be capable of using the information and analysis received from the app to eradicate vehicle inactive time, lessen excess speeding, and reduce the consumption of fuel.

6. Keep Kids and Parents Happy

The real-time school bus tracking will allow school authorities to offer the required safety to your kids. This will offer a peace of mind to their parents, as they will know that their kids are safe in their school buses. It will allow improving your loyalty to the parents, as well.

7. Predictable

The real-time school bus tracking can provide the running time of school buses. This means that parents will never come across uncertainty in your school bus transportation.

Thus, you will be capable of providing parents with real-time tracking information, exact delivery times, and other important details.

8. Handle Bus Staff Efficiently

The real time bus tracking will help school authorities substantially in managing attendants and drivers in an effective way. You can pull up the information obtained from the tracking system, examine it, and can take remedial measures whenever obligatory.

9. Better Route Scheduling

The real-time school bus tracking helps greatly in identifying routes that will save both your money and time. You will be capable of designing a smart route scheduling, which, in turn, will decrease fruitless work. This will allow you to get rid of needless fuel costs, as well.

8 School Bus Route Auto Allocation Features from TrackSchoolBus

10. Locate Your Lost School Bus

You can find your stolen or lost school buses easily through the real-time school bus tracking, which, in turn, will decrease your maintenance expenses.

You can watch key aspects, as well, like engine oil levels and the overall physical condition of your school buses. The information from the fleet administration system will help you with ascertaining the time of routine inspection of your school buses.

11. Well-Timed Notifications

Tracking your school bus in real time will offer you the ability to send email or SMS alerts when your school buses go out of your school zone. In addition, you can propel appropriate real-time alerts in case of mishaps and other unforeseen incidents, so that you can take the essential steps.

12. Safety

The real-time school bus tracking will perk up the safety of your school students and bus staff through monitoring your buses.

If any troublesome incident happens, you will be capable of offering direct support and assistance to your bus attendants and drivers. It can even help you execute both-way communication between you and your drivers.

How TrackSchoolBus System Allocates School Bus Routes

Posted on August 8, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

It will not be an overstatement to quote that technology has become a torchbearer offering a host of convenient features, simplifying the lives of its users. A couple of such technological innovations that deserve a special mention are the school bus tracking system offered by TrackSchoolBus.

Aiming to not only offer transparency with every school bus ride, this system and the tracking apps integrated with it bestow a great deal of convenience to all the stakeholders; school bus drivers, school van operators and parents included.

It is through these tracking apps helps school administrators to ensure that they are plying their vehicles according to the desired capacity levels for every bus route.

This blog sheds light on numerous ways in which TrackSchoolBus System helps in auto allocating school bus routes.

The Smart Allocation Algorithm of TrackSchoolBus Tracking System

If you look into all the ways in which the TrackSchoolBus System lends a helping hand to school bus operators, you will be convinced that it is indeed a smart means to operate school buses and routes in complete control.

If you are a trasnport manager, then you can rely on this facility to plan school bus routes within minutes, in line with the number of pick-up points and their respective densities. That means, every school bus route is allotted in line with the capacity and pick-up point requirements.

Historical Data – The Primary Source of Information

Looking into the parents’ registration forms, school bus operators, with the help of Parent App integrated with TrackSchoolBus System will be in a strong position to assign pick-up according to the residential addresses of respective students.

Allowing you to conduct the auto routing procedures, it helps you to alter route in the event of a sudden relocation.

You will be able to take the help of Google Maps to identify the exact pick-up location of every student; residential address of the student.

6 School Bus Auto Routing Features from TrackSchoolBus

Unleash the Power of Control Through Automation

The power of automation can never be undermined, especially concerning the matters of control and efficiency. This is a fact that goes well with the TrackSchoolBus System that it automatically assists you to create vehicle assignments and school bus routes.

Banking on the trip and address details of every student, the TrackSchoolBus System handholds all school transport managers to exercise complete control over every school bus route. In the event of a sudden relocation, the system through its smart notifications via app shows the changed pick-up points.

The app comes with a printout facility that can provide pertinent handouts. These printouts can be used as reference points for the existing school bus transportation system.

What’s In Store for You?

You can avail free auto allocation trails that can be availed by schools which have subscribed or are planning to subscribe to the TrackSchoolBus System.

Tagged is a centralized and user-friendly interface, the TrackSchoolBus System is independent of any sort of hardware specifications. Offering you a host of unique value-added features, it is through this system that you can enjoy the flexibility of quoting for the facilities according to your needs.

To top it all, you have the additional benefit coming in the form of affordability. That means, with the reasonably-priced TrackSchoolBus System you will be in a position to operate your school bus fleet in the most efficient manner.

And once you become a TrackSchoolBus System subscriber, you can make the most of the advanced auto allocation feature and more.

10 Simple but Important Things About School Bus Tracking

Posted on August 6, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School Bus Tracking helps to improve student safety and build a better and secure relationship between parents and schools. This is a most efficient way to keep track of students’ security.

Each school might have proper arrangement for bus service or have bus companies for providing such services. They are responsible for taking entire responsibility of the kid’s safety along with ensuring that they keep updating the parents about any delays or urgent needs.

Let us see the important things about a proper school bus tracking system:

1. The tracking system for school buses can help in improving the safety measures as a result of which parents, teachers and even bus management people can work at ease.

This tracking helps to monitor the bus services in real and can also help parents to know about their time of arrival. This can reduce a lot of tension between parents and teachers. This effective procedure should be implemented as much as possible.

2. Bus tracking service such as GPS can help parents to keep an eye on the behaviour of the bus management team. At the same time, it also helps in knowing whether their kids are safe in harsh weather conditions or any incidental cause.

Having proper tracking system can help in improving the management system as managers would be informed about any urgent breakdown or be notified of any maintenance need.

This can in turn help in reducing costly breakdowns. When buses need maintenance then managers are responsible for scheduling replacement of buses.

3. Apart from this a bus tracking system can help to keep a close eye on the driver and check if they are following rules and regulations such as speed limits and scheduled routes.

Managers may also take note of the driving patterns such as hard braking or lingering around unnecessarily. This shall not only help in reducing the cost but also assure safety of children travelling in bus.

4. By following the tracking system, parents and teachers can get to know more about the arrival and departure time of the Bus. It shall be easy to generate effective schedule management for students. As per the details, parents and teachers can decide about their timings and proper schedule management.

Moreover, if there is any problem, for instance if the bus arrives late or there is a sudden breakdown then it might really get difficult. Students might have to keep waiting for their bus while at the same time it is also irritating for parents to keep waiting.

However, if there is a proper tracking system then it gets easier to deal with these things. The school bus tracking system can help in dealing with the bus management system and collaborate with your own dealings and schedules.

5. When parents let their children to go by bus, they completely trust the driver and other management officials involved here. Parents are often worried about their children to ensure that their child is protected and in complete safe hands.

Just as an additional precautionary measure by having a tracking system can give great peace of mind to the parents.

6. With the tracking system it will be easier to track the buses live and are notified about any emergency. Even automatic updates can save parents from calling again and again.

This shall help the management team to look after the kids. The live tracking system shall be updated with more reliable timings. So there would be no worries about delays.

7. Most schools face issues regarding their budget. However, a tracking system can help in reducing a lot of wastage of money. It helps in improving the route efficiency which in turn can reduce the fuel costs.

Other than this it becomes easy to monitor vehicle performance and reduce the maintenance cost.

8. School bus tracking offers better safety for drivers as the tracking system is not only helpful for children but also for the drivers. One can easily keep track of the drivers’ accountability, their whereabouts, and behaviour.

It can be easy to monitor reckless speed or improper behaviour of the driver. The perfect implementation of a tracking system can help to reduce the risk of students being exposed to any problem.

9. Tracking system makes the collection of data easy. This helps in proper collection and storage of data. Though tracking a vehicle isn’t that easy as it might seem be. However, with the right arrangement of various factors such as mileage and other things can be taken care of.

Moreover, the data is collected automatically via bus tracking software. There is no longer any need to rely on manual data handling or generating process as now it shall become easy to deal with these. The data recorded can further be used to prepare log books.

Having proper accuracy they can be used at the end of month for generating payments. Their performance can easily be taken care by collecting these data. One needs to simply print the data and go through it properly.

10. Those schools which haven’t come up with any bus tracking system yet should consider all the benefits involved in having a proper tracking system. This shall not only help in improving the school business but also gain a level of trust on the school. This shall be the best way to improve brand awareness and improve safety measures in schools for their own children.

Final Thoughts

In short, School Bus Tracking made easier for you to keep the track records of the security of your kids. Whatever is the case, a school bus tracking system will surely help in enhancing the overall performance of school.

This will help to improve the overall system and can provide safety benefits to school management, parents and children. As safety is very important for your children so if you are getting any safe opportunity for your child then never miss it.

8 Benefits Parents Can Get Via School Bus Tracking

Posted on May 10, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Safety of school children is a paramount to parents, not only when their kids are within the school premises but also while they are travelling back and forth to school or home via school buses.

Earlier, parents used to wait with bated breath till such time their wards reached the school or their doorstep. They were completely clueless of the location of bus or the time it will take for their wards to reach home.

With technology spreading its wings into every sphere of human life, this is the generation of school bus trackers which come as tracking aids.

These help parents in a number of ways in assuring their kids’ safety while onboard a school bus fitted with an AI-powered, GPS tracking system.

Here are some benefits parents can get via tracking their child’s school bus:

1. Travel Details Of Your Kid On Your Finger Tips

Information is wealth. This maxim is so true in the case of school bus tracking apps which are installed on the smartphones of parents whose kids travel via a school bus.

Through these school bus tracking aids, parents will be in a position to know the whereabouts of their kids. Any information concerning the school bus can be obtained by you as a parent at any point in time.

You will get updates on your phone’s screen that will provide all the travel details regarding your wards. You will get real-time alerts when your ward boarded or got off the school bus.

2. Keep A Check on the School Bus Speed Limit

Better to be safe than to be sorry. This is a befitting axiom that links the speed of the school bus to the safety of the children onboard.

Through the school bus tracking app, parents will be in a position to know the speed at which the school bus is travelling.

This can provide a sigh of relief to parents who can keep a watchful eye on whether the bus driver is meeting the specifications of speed limit of the school bus. School bus tracking apps can thus help in preventing accidents occurring on account of over-speeding.

3. Multiple Buses Can be Tracked

Given a scenario when your ward does not board the same bus every day, it is through school bus tracking that you as a parent can track multiple buses.

This feature comes as a boon to parents as they can put an end to anxiety about which bus their ward boarded.

4. Helps You Know the Exact Location of the School Bus

Parents who are connected to the school bus transportation system via their smartphones will be informed about the exact location of their wards.

They will get notifications about the location so that they can be prepared to either drop or pick up their wards from the bus point.

5. Notifications About Unexpected Inconveniences

It can be a natural hazard, the break-down of a school bus or a traffic jam that can inconvenience you and your ward.

With the school bus tracking app in your hands, a prior warning will flash on your smartphone, informing you about any hindrance that calls for your attention.

This way, you will be in a better position to make alternative arrangements or take any other corrective actions that deem fit.

6. Observations Regarding Your Child’s Pick-Up And Drop Timings

It is through the school bus tracking app that parents and school authorities can lay hands on the exact details linked to the time taken at every stop to either pick up or drop school kids.

In the event the bus halted for more than the prescribed time limit, you as parents will get notified regarding the delay.

7. Know Whether Your Kid Reached School or Your Home

The Radio Frequency Identification Tags provided by TrackSchoolBus come handy in providing the much-needed information regarding the exact location of your child.

It is through these exclusive school bus tracking apps that you will be informed about when your child reached home or school.

8. A Benefactor of Peace of Mind

Installing the school bus tracking apps provided by TrackSchoolBus will be an intelligent step towards enjoying peace of mind.

With real-time notifications popping up from the school bus tracking system on your smartphones, you will be in a favorable position to know the exact location of your kid.

Isn’t this a matter of convenience and peace to all the parents who can be rest assured about the safety of their wards while they are travelling via a school bus? Indeed! It is!

Key Takeaways

In addition to the above mentioned 8 benefits of school bus tracking apps, parents will able to keep a close watch over their kids’ academic performance.

The school bus tracking apps offered by TrackSchoolBus will help you download various academic reports including the attendance sheets of your wards.

This way, you can make the most of the technology options that are provided by these tracking apps to conveniently ensure the safety of your wards at all times.

How to Choose the Right Seat for Student Passengers?

Posted on September 27, 2017 by TSB Super Admin

Without doubt, the safety offered by a school bus to school students cannot be compensated by any other means of transportation. But we can definitely increase the safety features of school buses by equipping them with a GPS Tracking System (which may provide students with RFID cards) and other safety measures.

Staying seated on the school bus ensures safety. The less a bus driver is distracted, the more will he concentrate on driving. Shifting seats inside the bus and moving away from the seats can cause injury to the students. Seats of the bus are arranged to make the journey safe.

There are certain tips to keep in mind while choosing the right school bus seat of the bus. Safety should be the prime consideration inside the school bus. A typical school bus consists of seats with 39 inches wide and with maximum seating capacity of 3.

Wait for the bus in the safest place. Get in to the bus without rushing forming a queue. Hold the hand rail of the bus, while getting inside the bus. Choose the right school bus seat inside the bus.

Tips to choose the right seats revealed;

“When you make a choice, you change the future.” ― Deepak Chopra

It is important to have a clear idea about, how the students should be seated. Reserving permanent seats for students is an effective method of reducing the rush inside the school bus.

It’s better to finalize the seats according to the route of the bus. Those who board the bus early and leave late can be given the last seats. Students who board the bus late and leaves early can be given front seats. Authorities must take special consideration while choosing seats for students. If any student finds the allotted seat uncomfortable, there should be a facility to report it.

The bus is generally divided in to three parts;

The front is calm but there can be noise from the engine
Middle is half noisy and half silent
The back is bumpy, without any noise of the engine

Step 1

The allotted seats should be carefully noted by the children. Make sure that you be seated in the right seat. No exchanging of seats should be allowed. If there is any uncomfortable situation, it can be reported to the bus supervisor.

Step 2

After finding the most comfortable seat for each student, make sure that no other student is reserved for that seat. Seat number can be allotted to children in order to eliminate confusion.

Step 3

If there happens a collision of seat, there should be a second option. A bus supervisor can help with the seating arrangement of the children.

Step 4

Divide between children who want to sit by the left windows or the right windows. Bags and other parcels must be kept in the lap of the students. Throwing anything out of the bus is dangerous, children must never do that.

Step 5

After picking the most convenient seat, enjoy peaceful ride. Do not move away from the seat or exchange seats, while the bus is moving. Children should not eat or drink anything in the bus. After entering the bus, children must be seated properly, facing forward. Avoid putting hands and head outside the bus.

Step 6

Never allow annoying people to sit next to you. It is better to make sure that a known person sits next to you. Making noise and fighting inside the bus is strictly prohibited. Always remember children misbehaving inside the bus can loose the privilege of travelling in the school bus

Safety message about the “danger zone”;

If you can touch the school bus, you are standing too close
Step out of the danger zone with 10 giant steps
Make sure, you can see the driver and the driver can see as well
Never stop to pick up anything dropped in the danger zone, ask an adult or driver for help

Ironically, assigning a particular seat for each school bus student is the best means to handle mischievous children. Also, appropriate seating for students can simplify your task by saving your valuable time.

How School Bus Tracking Apps Can Help Parents

Posted on February 26, 2016 by TSB Super Admin

Applying GPS tracking systems to school buses can increase the driving efficiency. The introduction of smart phones has transformed the management of school bus transportation as a whole. The main goal behind every school bus tracking app s is the safety of students.

The app helps parents to ensure safety during their ride to school and the way back home. A School bus monitoring system helps both parents and teachers to know the whereabouts of their children. Through a web portal, parents are able to track the daily activities of their child in real time. It also provides a means for parent teacher communication.

Some of the important benefits of school bus tracking software are:

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Are Mobile Apps Necessary for Ensuring School Bus Safety

Parents are Able to Know about the Traveling Details of Children at any Time

All information regarding school bus traveling will be obtained to parents at the required time. They will get instant updates regarding their child getting on and off the school bus.

Know Whether the Child Reached their Home or School

Parents get instant notification about children and their location. They are able to know students’ location with the use of radio frequency identification tags given to them.

Detect School Bus Speeds

School authorities as well as parents would be able to know the speed of aschool bus. This facility can be very useful as they can avoid unnecessary accidents of school buses.

Observe How Much Time is Spent for each Stop

Parents and authorities will get correct details about the time spent for each stop. If at all any stop takes more time than allotted the both authorities and parents obtain notification regarding it.

Get a Warning Regarding Traffic Jams, School Bus Break Down and Natural Hazards

If there is any traffic jam, break down or natural hazards, parents would be able to get a warning helping them to take necessary actions and precautions.

Know the Performance of Children in School

The performance of each student in their school will be regularly updated in the app. Hence, parents can know their child’s performance without directly approaching the teacher. This can save parents’ time as well as teachers’.

Helps to Know School Bus Location

Location of the school bus will be sent as notification to both parents and authorities via the app. Most of the parents can get information about the location of the bus and thus get prepared.

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A parent app would be helpful to those parents who are working. This is because their busy schedule does not allow them to check directly on their children. A parent app would be very convenient for those parents who are out of the station as well. It would be difficult for them to inquire about their child on an everyday basis. Sending someone on their behalf is also a bad idea. In such situations, usage of apps is the best solution for parents. They are able to know the whereabouts of their children whenever they get free time.

The School bus monitoring system can solve the errors in managing school bus timings. Use of Radio Frequency Identification tags can help parents and school authorities to get regular updates of students in school buses. The GPS tracking system is an excellent system which can be accessed either through a personal computer or mobile phone. The software also helps in routing and helps to replace errors. When compared to manual recording, the software helps to easily and quickly calculate the working hours and activity of each trip. And above all, the most important advantage is that the use of Global Positioning System tracking is a cost-effective method.

Nowadays, safety of school children is given top priority. There are several unexpected hazards awaiting in today’s world. Any amount of precaution can matter so much in safety.

How will Reports Help You in Fleet Management?

Posted on May 26, 2015 by TSB Super Admin

School bus tracking is an important element in school bus fleet management. You can use School Bus Tracker software to do that. But, if you thought school bus tracking is just about tracking the location of a school bus, you are wrong.

By tracking your school bus fleet, you mean to monitor every aspect of a school bus. You look into areas where costs can be cut down, benefitting the school. Also, you can look into the performance of your school bus drivers and do much more. To do that effectively, you need the help of reports that can be generated using the software. The reports give a clear idea of where fuel consumption is high or where the school bus driver has taken a different route.

The reports generated, can be of great benefit to your school bus fleet as well as to you.

Lessen manual efforts

Imagine having to note down each and every aspect of school bus fleet management. Your calculations can go wrong. Also, you will have to maintain lots of records like fuel receipts, service logs, odometer reading etc. Generating reports using School Bus Tracker software can lessen manual efforts. You get all the information from a single source. Also, you don’t have to panic to find information at time of need. You can access the information whenever you want.

Improve productivity

The School Bus Tracker software can be used to continuously monitor the performance of drivers. Reports on over speeding, unscheduled bus stops etc. can be generated using the software. These reports can be used to analyse the performance of school bus drivers. You can look into their low performance areas and take measures to improve the productivity of drivers. Also, when the drivers are aware that they are being watched, they will try to perform better.

Better preventive maintenance

With School Bus Tracker software, you can get reports on fuel consumption, which includes mileage updates. This can give you an idea of the preventive maintenance that has to be done to prevent costly breakdowns later. A vehicle that doesn’t miss preventive maintenance has better fuel efficiency and runs more efficiently.

Reduce fuel theft

You don’t have to put in any manual efforts to track down fuel theft. The reports generated using the software show details of fuel transactions. If a vehicle filled a tank beyond its capacity, it will be notified in the reports. Also, when the employees are aware that the fuel consumption is being tracked, fuel theft can be eliminated.

Cut down costs

Using the reports, you can find out the areas where there you can reduce costs. By effective routing and planning, you can cut down labour costs and fuel consumption. . This is going to benefit the schools budget.

Reports that are generated must be understood by everyone. For that, you must use good software such as the School Bus Tracker. You can get ample and clear information regarding your school bus fleet using the software. This is going to help you in effective fleet management.

12 Reasons Why You Should Be Using School Bus GPS Tracking

Posted on March 27, 2015 by TSB Super Admin

The safety and convenience provided by school buses are quite rare. Fatalities caused by other automobiles are eight times higher compared to school buses.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the safety of school buses. It’s shocking to know that, a child gets kidnapped or goes missing every 40 seconds. What are we waiting for? Let’s start with a splendid modern day technology that can ensure student safety.

Here are 12 awesome reasons why you should rely on GPS School bus Tracking System:

1. Safety At Its Best– Yes, it is. Ensuring security is a responsibility. Students often wait in bus stops, exposed to various dangers. The external dangers, bad weather and dangerous situations can be avoided with GPS. Notifying parents about the actual arrival time of the school bus minimizes the time children have to wait at the bus stop. It can be used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2. Time– Avoid planning routes manually with GPS tracking system. The information is automatically collected and reported reduces errors, and does the better planing. With GPS tracking systems, time and energy can be saved.

3. Regular Monitoring– Regular monitoring of the school bus can avoid delay. While the most comfortable route is granted by the GPS tracking system, noting the flaws and working on it can gain the confidence of parents. RFID monitors the children without fail. Parents can be clear the location of their children without much effort.

4. Better Maintenance– Allow better maintenance with GPS tracking system on school buses. Accurate mileage calculation and speed limit management are possible with GPS tracking system. Know in advance about the bus service date and eliminate unwanted tension about remembering the maintenance of the bus. Battery recovery is available with accurate mileage calculation- another cost-saving method.

5. Environmental Accountability– The news is not something new to our generation. Air pollution has increased to a great extent due to our lifestyle. There are certain responsibilities towards our environment. GPS helps to optimize routing and track engine idling for minimizing the impact of a school bus on the environment. Reduce the emission of pollution and help the environment to stay green. Gift a better planet to the future.

6. Compact Yet Confident– Though the system provides a lot of services, it occupies only a little space. A typical GPS system is similar in dimensions to a mobile phone. The functioning of the whole system is simple. No space for complications. The RFID tags used to identify individual students are so small that they are used with the ID cards of students.

7. Cost-Savings– Reducing the cost is saving it. With GPS, more money can be saved. Operating the vehicle carefully can save a lot of maintenance expense and observing the speed limit and other safety measures can encourage parents to admit their children in school bus resulting in more profit for the department of transportation in school. By monitoring driving patterns, school authorities can control unnecessary expenses. GPS tracking systems are considered as anti-theft devices by most insurance companies. Insurance premium savings is an added advantage.

8. Monitoring Fuel Cost– School bus fleet managers can monitor and manage fuel cost of school buses by maintaining a track record of the routes and mileage that drivers take. Fleet managers can also ensure that the drivers are doing their work efficiently or not such as driving, staying on their scheduled routes and speed limits.

9. Tracking Driving Behaviour of Bus Driver– Fleet managers can keep the record regarding their driver’s behaviour with GPS fleet tracking. The device is capable enough to keep track of driving behaviours and patterns such as unnecessary speeding, hard braking, etc. It not only enhances the safety of passenger but also reduces costs.

10. Attendance Management– In most of the cases, these school bus tracking solutions also includes RFID tracking which helps to track students inside the school premises and also manage the school attendance system automatically. The RFID tracking provides precise attendance report. With this, parents receive alert messages if their kids go out during the school hours. Not only this much, school authorities also receive notification if any student is missing in class or enters any restricted areas.

11. Scheduling– School authorities and teachers can make effective and amazing schedules for their students if they would they come to know when the school bus will arrive and depart. This results in time management.

12. Enhances Bus Driver Accountability– Parents tend to be always careful about who is taking care of their children outside the home such as babysitters, teachers etc. But what about school bus drivers? This GPS tracking solution helps to monitor the activities of these drivers which results in ensuring the student safety.