There was a time when children used to attend a nearby school within walking distance of their homes and the world was a safer place since everyone knew everyone in the neighbourhood. Today, it is vastly different. Cities have grown larger. Parents are choosy about schools for their children and some of the best schools may be about 30 to 50 km away. Most such schools are premium institutions and offer school bus facility for pick up and drop off. Still, that alone is no guarantee that children travel safely and return in time. Schools need to do more than just provide school buses; such buses need to be technology powered by a transport management system that assures timely and safe service.
Monitoring for safety in school buses
Children are vulnerable, especially those who have just started schooling. Schools may have a school management app with connection to visual monitoring devices to ensure that such children have gotten on to the bus or have gotten off the bus. In-bus safety is also important for which a security camera tied to the school management app can give the facility of monitoring their presence and that they are not being bullied. It is easy for child-lifters to lift children when they are getting down from the bus, posing as relatives so school management may instruct the driver to make sure the child is picked up only by someone they know and not by anyone who claims to be a friend, relative or neighbour. It also happens that working parents may not be present to pick up their child and in such cases, they can designate persons who will pick up their children.
Knowing whereabouts
If a school provides bus facility then it should be mandatory to have school bus GPS tracking system tied to the school management app or a centralized monitoring control panel. If a bus is on its way to pick up students then parents may track the bus and have a good idea of its arrival time. If it is about to drop off then too parents may wish to know about the location of the bus and when it is due so they can go to the drop off point. The GPS system for bus offers this facility. Further, it also helps when a bus breaks down and school management can rush another bus to the location when they know its precise location with the help of the GPS system for the bus. The replacement bus driver can also track it precisely and thus save valuable time of students in the bus. If they are on the way to school when the breakdown occurs, the school bus GPS tracking system helps management deliver another vehicle in record time. Students do not miss more than one class. It is the same when students are on the way home. They are not unduly delayed and the GPS tracking also alerts parents about the incident so they do not worry too much. Another benefit of GPS is that it can be used imaginatively to find alternative routes should the regular route be closed, be congested with traffic or be water-logged.
Keeping school bus drivers inline
Sometimes it is drivers who prove to err in performing their duty. They may drive over the speed limit. They may follow another, more hazardous route or they may drive too slowly and stop along the way for unauthorized pickup. Drivers may behave rudely with people on the road or they may flout traffic rules or even be rude to school children inside the bus. School management can use the GPS and security cameras inside the bus to monitor the driver. Once the driver knows he is being monitored he is likely to stay in line.
More is possible IoT
Where schools provide school buses for children it is also their duty to ensure safety and speedy transport in reliable vehicles. Managing the fleet can be a challenge but if the school management app includes the use of IoT and sensors it becomes possible to keep track of vehicle health and fuel consumption. Sensors that monitor when the bus is in motion and for how long it has been at rest give a good idea of whether the driver is performing his duty or is slacking off. Fuel consumption can be monitored with the help of sensors and sensors can raise the alert about the state of engine health and tyres that would prevent breakdowns and costly maintenance.
Schools will find that it enhances their reputation when they offer the best, absolutely safe and reliable transportation system for their students. A comprehensive school bus and transport management, integrated into the school management app, raises reputation and inspires confidence in parents.
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