People demand safety and transparency in the entire system nowadays. As a result, more efficient means of services are gradually replacing the traditional methods. This shift is evident, especially after the advent of the internet and smartphones. The last decade witnessed some massive transitions in the way people approach services. Take the revolution of the cab industry for that matter. Apps like Uber, Ola, Lyft, etc., are fitting the shoes of yellow and meter taxis.
Did you know that 17,000 kids in the US are treated in hospital emergency rooms annually for injuries associated with school buses? When people expect convenience in almost every service nowadays, don’t you think they will provide the utmost care and protection to their children? They demand to know the wards’ status during their entire journey from their homes to the schools. These escalating demands have led to the rise of a school bus fleet software.
Are you an entrepreneur looking to provide a school bus software to multiple schools in your locality? Are you a school official looking to enhance the safety of your school fleets? This caters to the needs of all those who wish to develop a school fleet management app.
Why do you need a school bus software?
Let’s look at some of the supporting stats and reasons as to why the development of a school bus software is beneficial.
According to the School Transportation News,
- As mentioned earlier, 17,000 kids in the US get treatment in hospitals for injuries associated with school buses every year.
- Almost 23.5 million elementary and secondary school students take the school bus every day.
According to a report by the Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice,
- Vehicular accidents cause almost 40% of school bus injuries.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
- Between 2007 & 2016, an average of 128 fatalities occurred every year due to school transportation-related crashes.
From the parents’ perspective,
- They cannot inquire about their children’s arrival every day by calling the school officials. They need a transparent medium that informs them from time-to-time without any hassles.
- Parents need to know the exact time of arrival of the school fleets in the morning and their wards in the evening.
- Parents need a medium to communicate with the school officials and drivers in case they need to deliver a specific instruction or during emergencies.
All these stats and reasons signify the need for a school fleet management app.
How can a school bus routing software enhance safety?
After identifying the needs to develop the software, you set foot into development. Developing a school bus tracking application involves building separate platforms, including:
- Parents app
- Drivers app
- School admin app
Any platform gets life only through the features integrated into it. Some of the features that enhance the safety of the entire system include,
- Real-time tracking: Both the parents and school admins get to know the fleets’ exact location with the aid of this feature. Moreover, they’ll get to know the estimated time of arrival in the form of push notifications.
- In-app navigation: Drivers get to know the exact location of several students and can reach their pick-up and drop destinations seamlessly through the app.
- Efficient student logs: The platform provides real-time updates to the entire system. Drivers can effectively manage student logs with just a few taps on their smartphones. This way, both parents and officials get to know the exact pick-up and drop-off time of the students through the app.
- Reroute fleets: The admin can reroute fleets to a particular destination in case a particular fleet breaks down or during emergencies. This way, admins get to have complete control over the entire setup.
- Set preferred locations: Parents can specify the pick-up and drop-off destinations based on their convenience. This way, they can alter their locations anywhere and anytime.
- Fleet maintenance: While stressing on the students’ safety, the fleets’ condition becomes paramount, as well. Hence, the app provides quality insights on the periodic maintenance of the fleet, regular repairs, etc.
- Push notifications: Any information becomes futile when it doesn’t reach out to the right people at the right time. As a result, for the entire system to stay updated, this feature comes in handy. Parents are informed on their wards’ arrival, school admins get to know the activities of the fleet, and the drivers receive special instructions instantly.
How does a school bus tracking app work?
Even after integrating cutting-edge features, the software must offer an enriched app experience to the entire network. It is advisable to design a user-friendly framework as parents who aren’t well-acquainted with smartphones access the application, as well. The working of the online platform is quite simple and reliable.
- Initially, school officials roll out the school bus routing app to parents and drivers.
- Parents register with the app by providing valid credentials of their children, including specific details like Student ID, name, class, etc.
- They are then navigated to set their pick-up and drop locations either on the map or by manually entering the details.
- After confirming the above information, the app displays necessary boarding information that includes the fleet number, driver contact details, pick-up time, etc.
- Parents get to track the fleet seamlessly throughout the journey of their wards.
- They can deliver specific notes or instructions to drivers through the in-app chat/call facilities.
What are the ways to develop bus management software?
There are a couple of popular ways to get a smartphone application nowadays. They include,
- Hiring freelance developers: In this type, you join hands with freelance developers for the task to be done. You tell them how you need the app, the features you wish to integrate into the app, and negotiate the budget. This type is often considered tedious, owing to the fact it requires constant supervision.
- Approaching app companies: Here, instead of developers, you approach app companies for app development. This type is more flexible and cost-effective when compared to the former way. Moreover, choosing a well-reputed company can assure you timely delivery of the application.
Wrapping up,
In this modern era, people expect to safeguard their children in maximum ways possible. When there is a possibility to ensure their safety, why can’t entrepreneurs and school officials take up the responsibility to provide transparency in the entire system? There is no ideal time than this to develop a school bus route software and attract parents towards your educational institutions. Reach out to an expert app development company, and get the software right away!
