School Bus transportation service Archives

How To Start A Student Transportation Business

Posted on May 28, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

In today’s world, parents struggle to find a balance between the conflicting schedules of their children and their own. A child’s daily schedule might include being picked and dropped from pre-school.

Later in the day, the child might need to go for extra activities like Sports, arts or language classes. The different timings and locations make it hard for busy parents to pick and drop them from school and from the other varied activities.

A solution to this wide-spread problem would be a trusted and viable source of transport which would reach the children to various places at the right times and bring them back home safely.

This type of service would be of great help to working parents who cannot take time off to take their children around.

1. Business Plan

Starting a children’s transport business is like running any other business. The business involves more than picking up and dropping children.

The key to success lies in marketing the idea and finding the right users. A research will reveal the markets that can be tapped for business.

The idea or motive behind starting a business should be the lifeline of the business. In children’s transportation business is customer and service driven.

A service that offers something different, from what the specific or similar industry do, will make it stand apart.

A plan detailing what ages and areas are to be served, hours of operation, fee structure, finances have to be drawn. A well written business plan will serve as a reference for future checks throughout the year.

Structure of the business will depend on whether it is a partnership or sole proprietorship. Once the structure is finalized local and state licenses, tax identification numbers and other legal requirements have to be applied for.

Sufficient capital is required to pay expenses until the business becomes profitable. These funds come from own savings, friends or private investors. Bank loans can be availed to start the business.

When executing you enter the market in a low or medium key. It can be further expanded depending on the response.

Workspace can be one’s home or space shared with another business or a leased office. Customer is the key to any business.

2. Objective

The objective of a transportation business catering to children should be to provide a safe and convenient method of transportation. It should be licensed, reliable and available to parents at reasonable prices.

The aim of the business is service. The children’s transportation business is service driven offering maximum satisfaction to customers. The priority is to become a trusted source for parents to rely on.

3. Market

Children’s transportation service is required and highly essential for any child activity that does not have its own form of transport.

Day-care facilities, pre-school, activity centers, recreational arena that do not provide transport facilities can be targeted for business.

Periodical agreements with them will assure a minimum number of children availing this service.

The market should be focused on the middle class working parents, both single and dual. This segment of the population is found to be the most active and so are their children.

The working parents are interested in activities to keep their children occupied. Their children avail day-care services summer schools and sports activities.

Households with children under the age of 18 have to be targeted. The Organizational focus should be on children. Their safety and welfare should be the priority.

Densely populated residential areas which are in proximity to the day cares or activity centers can be identified as the area of operation. A specified radius in kilometers can be fixed within which the transport can be used.

4. Promotion

Formal introduction letters giving an explanation of the services provided are to be mailed. A request to respond if interested is to be included.

The letters can be sent to households in the vicinity identified for operation. They can be sent to day-care owners, pre-schools, recreational activity centers.

The brochure must include operational information required by the clients. It should include the features and benefits of using the service.

Rules and regulations, hours and rates should also be mentioned in detail. Description of your qualifications, the process of selection of drivers, reliability and safety of vehicles can be mentioned.

Advertisements can be inserted in the local publications. As a part of personal selling, parents and schools in the community can be made aware of the existence of the intended service.

Creating special offers for the first time users and repeat customers can ensure customer loyalty.

5. Vehicle Selection

The type and size of the vehicle needed is to be decided initially. Mini-vans are easy to maneuver in traffic but the number of seats may be limited. Small buses require special operating licenses but can carry more passengers.

Mini-vans which meet the federal safety standards are a good option to ply in populated areas.

Child safety features of seat belts, safety locks, shoulder harnesses and dual airbags are a must and should be provided in the vans.

Stringent maintenance schedules have to be adhered to ensure that the vehicles are safe and reliable to travel.

GPS units and radio communication equipment in the vehicle would be an added advantage. If special needs children are served handicap capable vehicles would be needed.

6. Staff

Every business has two main aspects. One is the customer and the other the employee. If attractive benefits are offered to employees they will take care of the customers.

If interesting options are provided to customers they will use the service which leads to increase in profits.

If the business has to run smoothly, dedicated employees should be hired. Hiring good people will increase productivity.

They will cause less trouble. It is important that they are paid on time, appreciated in public and reprimanded in private.

In a children’s transportation business the driver is the main employee. He is the one in constant interaction with the children, their parents and the owners of the business. So hiring competent drivers is the first step to ensure success.

Drivers with a valid chauffeur’s driving license are to be recruited. A background check has to be done. They should have had previous driving experience withexcellent track records.

They must have a First aid and CPR certificate. They must be genuinely interested in the care and welfare of children.

Other employees too should be chosen carefully as they are the ones who talk to customers. They should be easily available and should make the customer feel important. They should be capable to respond to requests as soon as possible.

Employee training and monitoring are very critical to providing an excellent service to customers. Background checks are done for all employees. All employees have to be trained in customer service and office procedures.

Drivers need to work with parents while establishing routes. They have to keep a detailed record of pick-ups and drop-offs. A time log, records of distance and fuel consumption are essential.

They have to have good time management to be punctual at all times. They have to be patient with children. They should be able to handle the pressure of traffic outside and also the screaming and noisy kids inside the vehicle.

Periodic feedback from the users is to be sought to ensure that the service is to the satisfaction of the customer. Any shortcomings need to be addressed with minimal delays.

Checking constantly or on a daily basis with the drivers and employees on what they require to perform better is essential. Resources have to be provided so that they can to do their job most effectively.

7. Vehicle Utilization

The vehicles can be utilized to transport children during the peak times – early morning 7-8am, mid-afternoon 11-12 and evening 3-5pm. Routes can be charted taking into account the number of children and destinations.

During non-peak hours administrative and marketing work can be done. The vehicles can be used to run emergency trips to clinics with sick children or for prior appointments.

8. Fee Structure

Rate schedules should be handed over to parents once they have enrolled their ward for the service. Detailed rates for scheduled and un-scheduled one-way trips and round trips and for extra miles have to be shown on the rate schedule. Any discounts for siblings and incentives of extra rides have to be mentioned.

Fees should be taken in advance. Payment can be made in cash or by cheque. Credit cards can be accepted if required.

9. Operating Expenses

A detailed record of day to day expenses has to be maintained. A competent accountant can keep track of the progress and problems of the business in real time.

In addition to the wages of the staff, the budget should include the cost of maintenance of the vehicle, regular cleaning charges of vehicles and fuel costs.

10. Special Requirement

Some states stipulate other requirements to operate in their areas.

Safety concerns require photo identities of the children. The necessary equipment and camera to create the ID cards will be required.

Liability insurance to cover vehicles, employees and passengers are required.

A thorough screening for drugs and background check for all employees including drivers have to be done.

Fingerprint clearance is required by many states if working with children. This is to ensure that the employees are not a threat to the safety of the children.

The business allows the advantage of being your own boss. The service offered is highly needed and appreciated. The business is ideal for at-home parents and those who love children or special needs children.

The business can be expanded if required. At the beginning it would be advisable to concentrate on hiring the right people. Later on, when a good customer base has been formed and goodwill is attained, professionals can be hired and advanced technology can be used to manage the business.

The adverse factors are driving in bad weather, high insurance rates and distractions from boisterous children.

A friendly and efficient child transportation system will offer parents the comfort of knowing that their children are in the best hands.

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.

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

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.

Futuristic School Bus Transportation

Posted on December 17, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Future school buses are the one that combines technological features such as onboard Wi-Fi, telematics, camera, Global Positioning System, driver support tools, etc.

This is a versatile transport solution, which is a typical example of the Internet of Things (IoT) of today, combines security, safety, and network access while on the road.

These facilities accrue as benefits to students, fleet staff, school staff and the parents. Let us see what the benefits of future school bus are and how they are different from normal buses.

1. Bridge the digital gap of the underprivileged

Many American homes which have low income still do not the means to access a hi-speed broadband Internet connection. Many children from low-income households are thus unable to complete their daily homework assignments.

When school buses are equipped with Wi-Fi, it helps these and other students complete their homework while on a long ride back home.

In addition to helping students, parked connected school buses can double up as Wi-Fi hotspots offers internet access to the underprivileged when they are not carrying students. These buses can also find places in the case when schools sponsor programs or organize fundraisers.

The same wireless access as is on the campus is made available in the bus. Therefore the same web filtering rules are on and no dangerous content can be streamed.

A normal bus, on the other hand, does not offer this advantage. Though the fare may be less, other expenses such as Internet access costs through other means and associated costs may compensate for the savings made.

Moreover, the student travelling by a normal bus is denied access to information as compared to other students that travel in next generation school buses and therefore loses out on many related counts.

2. Anywhere learning is possible

A student travelling in the next generation bus is able to access learning management systems while on the road. They are able to chat with their teachers and mentors, check their grades, view their assignments, Moreover, the student can reach out and access Google Classroom to view and download or upload their homework.

This learning for students is not limited to those who attend classes and do the homework. Connected school buses help sports students to catch up with their missed lessons.

The greatest advantage here is that when such students travel on the normal bus they stand a great chance of losing their sleep hours.

A connected bus helps the students to get home and catch up with their sleep or attend to their part-time jobs or pursue other extracurricular activities with ease.

Another interesting example is the instance of Lockheed Martin creating the first ever immersive virtual reality vehicle, meaning it provides the students with a virtual reality experience on the way back home. The Mars Experience Bus was their one such creation.

For bus commutes that last for more than 45 minutes, instructors can present class lessons to the students in a remote fashion instead of extending the school timings. Travel in normal buses would deprive children and the tutors of this facility.

3. Smart video surveillance enhances safety

Untoward incidents that threaten the safety of children travelling to school in normal buses many a time go unnoticed. However, connected buses with smart video surveillance can be used to improve passenger safety and also aids in monitoring the student and driver behavior in real time.

Authorities can watch a live and real-time video that is being recorded in the bus. The surveillance system would monitor both the exterior and interior of the bus. Two-way audio facilities allow the authorities to act fast in case of unexpected emergencies.

A reckless driver can be tamed, both the bus driver and other civilian drivers that drive past the flashing lights of the school bus.

Normal buses’ drivers can travel at the speed they want and there can be no control whatsoever on the unruly behavior of the drivers. The passengers usually bear the brunt of such behavior.

4. Provide timely information to parents

The parents are allowed to have more visibility when their children travel on these school buses. They get information in real time telling them if the bus will be on time or delayed to reach a specified bus stop.

This is a big plus during winter days when the driver has to deal with ice and snow on the roads and suffers freezing temperatures.

GPS helps the system track the buses in real time and alerts authorities if the bus strays from the normally prescribed route or if the bus faces a breakdown.

The exact spot is notified via alerts through integration to social media. The authorities can enable geo-fencing, and even proactively monitor the maintenance of the school bus.

When children travel in normal buses, parents sometimes wait for hours on end at the bus stop and what it means is a colossal waste of resources. Sometimes children wait outside in the cold for hours if the bus is delayed.

5. Relay back maintenance issues in a timely manner

Futuristic school buses have the technology to relay back relevant information about the bus status to the concerned authorities.

Examples of variables that can be conveyed back are fuel economy, tire pressure, and engine fault codes. The authorities can then decide if the engine of the bus is running at its peak performance values.

Preventive maintenance action is made possible with these actions. The ultimate results are that costs are lowered and expulsions of gases that affect the environment negatively are reduced.

A normal bus would just end up breaking down suddenly in a majority of cases. This would mean upset of normal routines and eventually end up in unplanned extra costs.

6. Help to make up the academic shortfall of the country

According to statistics, students in the United States are academically behind students of many other nations. Therefore, it is a good idea to increase students’ access to resources via these buses. This would only serve to increase their intellectual awareness.

7. Improve the behavior of the students

Some students with behavioral issues many a time require a distraction that would keep them calm.

Wi-Fi in a connected bus is an educational distraction that would hold their attention. They would keep away from distraction the other children or even the bus driver.

Those children travelling on a normal bus can give vent to their feelings in any manner that they want to and there is no tether for this.

Conclusion

The true value of this kind of transport solution is the integration of the wireless, telematics, security, camera and other components which turn this into one single powerful platform. The uses are nearly unlimited.

School Bus Transportation: Is Bullying a Serious Concern?

Posted on March 1, 2016 by TSB Super Admin

School bus bullying is a growing concern to every parents. Knowing the signs of bullying and reacting against it at the right time reduces unnecessary tensions and problems. Otherwise, bullying can negatively impact student's education. It can make them fearful of going to school.

School bus bullying can make a torturous experience to students rather than a fun opportunity for learning. It can be prevented by providing a supportive and positive school environment. School authorities should teach the students that bullying is an unacceptable behavior.

Read Also: How Does the Transport Manager App Help the Transport Manager

Safest Means of Transportation

School bus transportation is said to be the safest means of transportation for children. Commonly, school bus is the location for bullying. This could resist parents to keep away their child from such dangers.

Sometimes even school bus drivers ignore such bullying and fail to report to school authorities. This encourages bullies to continue doing their wrong doings. It is the responsibility of adults to take action against such misbehavior and help those students who became victims. It can mentally as well as physically destroy the life of the student.

School authorities ignore bullying as they think it is a silly issue. But they never think about the consequences of bullying. Ignoring such issues can encourage such bullying gangs and the issues related to bullying can increase day by day.

Parents will be afraid of sending their children to school as they are concerned about the school transportation safety of students. But bullying can be prevented by a number of methods. Some of them are as follows:

Organize an Anti-Bullying Committee

Organizing an anti-bullying committee can help a lot. Such a committee should consist of a student representative, teacher, and other school authorities. Hence the victims of bullying and witnesses of bullying can easily report to them.

Installation of Camera

Camera can be installed in the school bus for closely monitoring the students. It can show who starts fight and who are being bullied at. Drivers can thus get constant updates on the activities of students.

But drivers may not be able to concentrate completely on camera as they may increase the chance of accidents. School authorities and drivers can co-ordinate together to find any kind of misbehaving from students.

You May also Like: 5 Quick Planning Tips for a Successful Field Trip

Reporting to Authorities

When bullying is reported at the right time, it can be avoided to an extent. Most of the time, students fail to report bullying at the right time. Hence authorities may not be able to take action against the students who misbehave.

Avoid Bullies

It is a kind of silently solving the issue. Try to ignore the bullying ones. When they feel they are ignored, they naturally stop bullying. Being polite to a bully can make them think about his or her actions.

Conduct Awareness

School authorities can conduct awareness programs regarding bullying and its effects. This can discourage the students who are bullying and they will also be able to understand the aftereffects of bullying. This will help the school authorities to maintain a good environment in school transportation.

Indeed, school bus bullying can cause a devastating effect on students. It can affect a student's mental as well as physical health. Students who are bullied can undergo physical symptoms such as head ache, depression, sleeping deficiency etc.

They may also be afraid to go to school, lose interest in school, have trouble in concentrating and become academically poor. Sometimes even suicidal thoughts can come across the minds of bullying victims. Hence school bus bullying is a serious concern in affecting the safety of school transportation. Parents and teachers have a great role to play in creating a bully free environment inside the school bus.

Fascinating Songs For Children While Travelling In School Bus

Posted on November 23, 2015 by TSB Super Admin

Around 25 million students begin their day with a trip on school bus. The school bus transportation service is managed with utmost care and safety.

Along with safety, entertainment is also necessary in School Bus transportation service. Introducing fascinating songs in school bus for children to sing along the ride can be interesting.

The songs for children must serve entertainment and education. Setting music can change the whole travel experience.

Read Also: 10 Cool School Bus Games

Rhymes All the Way

The nursery rhymes include:

Action Songs

These songs are accompanied by clapping hands and nodding heads while singing.

Counting Rhymes

These rhyme do not require any material, they are accompanied by hand gestures not words.

Lullabies

These are used to pass culture or tradition. These are also often used to develop communication skills and regulation of behaviour.

Riddles

A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning which can be put forth as a question to be solved.

Check out some fascinating songs for children:

Pop! Goes the Weasel

Up and down the City Road

In and out the Eagle

That’s the way money goes

Pop! Goes the weasel.

Every night when I get home

The monkey’s on the table,

Take a stick and knock it off,

Pop! goes the weasel.[1]

Up and down the city road,

In and out the Eagle.

That’s the way the money goes,

Pop! goes the weasel.

Pat-a-Cake

It is the oldest rhyme and is quite popular

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,

Bake me a cake as fast you can,

Pat it and prick it and mark it with B,

And bake it in the oven for baby and me.

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Roll it up, roll it up;

And throw it in a pan!

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

ABC song

It is a fun alphabet song. It illustrates each letters with objects which makes it easier for children to learn alphabets. Some of the lines are:

A is for apple,

B is for ball,

C is for cat,

D is for dog,

E is for elephant,

F is for fish,

G is for gorilla,

H is for hat,

I is for igloo,

J is for juice,

K is for kangaroo,

L is for lion,

M is for monkey,

N is for no,

O is for octopus,

P is for pig.

Q is for question,

R is for ring,

S is for sun,

T is for train.

U is for umbrella,

V is for van,

W is for watch,

X is for box x x box.

Y is for yellow y

Z is for zoo.

Ding Dong Bell

It is a traditional nursery rhyme and is very popular. Some of the lines are as follows:

Ding, dong, bell,

Pussy’s in the well,

Who put her in?

Little Johnny Thin.

Who pulled her out?

Little Tommy Stout.

What a naughty boy was that,

To try to drown poor pussy cat,

Who never did him any harm,

But killed all the mice in the farmer's barn.[1]

Pussycat, Pussycat

It is an English rhyme about a pussycat going all the way up to London to visit the Queen.

Pussycat, pussycat

Where have you been?

I’ve been up to London

To visit the Queen.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse, under her chair.[1]

You may also like: 5 Important Guidelines to Manage Student Behaviour inside the School Bus

Baa Baa Black Sheep

It is one of the most popular nursery rhymes of all time and it can be used as lullaby.

Baa, baa, black sheep

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir

Three bags full.

One for the master,

And one for the dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane

Johny, Johny

It is a nursery rhyme about parenting.

Johny, Johny!

Yes, Papa

Eating sugar?

No Papa

Telling lies?

No Papa

Open your mouth

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Cobbler, Cobbler

It is a nursery rhyme about a pair of old shoes that a cobbler is about to fix.

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe

Get it done by half past two.

Half past two is much too late!

Get it done by half past eight.

Stitch it up, and stitch it down,

And I'll give you half a crown

The Best Is Better Than the Rest

All these rhymes can be fascinating for children as it involves entertainment and enjoyment. Transform your school transport experience with these songs.

No need to worry about the safety of children while on bus, as School bus monitoring system ensures the safety of children. All we can do is to contribute entertaining environment inside the bus.