One reason parents prefer some schools over others is their proximity to home. Parents are more at ease when their children travel short distances when going to and from school. School administrations understand this concern, especially for families that may live at greater distances from the school. 

So schools are now coming up with ways to ensure that students are always safe in their hands—and that the parents know it. As transportation to and from school is a key concern for parents, schools are taking steps to implement school transport management systems.

These transport management systems are database-based software developed primarily to manage a school bus fleet. Some of its key features include the planning of bus routes, tracking travel in real-time, and designating drivers for each group of students. Some software even integrates a payment method wherein the parents can pay for the transportation fee without visiting the school. 

Let’s look into some of the best school transport management systems in 2021: 

Best School Transport Management Systems 

1. GoSchooler

GoSchooler is an all-in-one school management software and it provides a comprehensive transport management feature. In fact, transportation is one of its key features. There are several commands under the transportation feature. Namely, these are routes, vehicles, transport master, and bus tracking. 

This software alerts both the school and parents regarding the current school bus routes. Changes to the routes are immediately notified to the users. If the parents want to know the current location of the bus, they can also see this in the software. 

With the communication feature of GoSchooler, news like delays or accidents will immediately reach the parents of all students involved. 

2. Versatrans 

Versatrans by Tyler Technologies is one of the most well-received transport management software in recent years. It is best used for planning and creating bus routes. This system can also manage fleets of varying sizes. Besides route planning, Versatrans also has a population forecast feature. It has on-board navigation that updates the school of the whereabouts of each bus in the fleet.  

3. SafeBus

SafeBus is a self-service SaaS platform that tracks the school bus through its route to and from school. It offers two versions of its mobile application. And both apps have a feature for viewing the trip history.

The first version is the parent’s app. This version provides real-time notifications to the parents regarding the whereabouts of the bus. Parents will receive information on where the bus is on the route, the estimated arrival time, and if there are any incidents or delays along the way.  

The bus driver uses the second version. The driver’s app allows the driver to communicate with the school admin and parents. Their version of the app also lets them manually verify each child is present on the bus.  

4. Samsara

Samsara is specialized software for fleet management that is in use for all kinds of industries, including the education sector. Its major features include GPS tracking of vehicles in real-time. With GPS tracking, the system also provides alternate routing to avoid high-traffic areas. As a result, it can provide better estimations of expected arrival times.

This software also monitors and provides notifications if the school bus exceeds the speed limit at any point on its route. This feature, with its extra measure of accountability, helps ensure the safety of the students. 

5. Travel Tracker

School transport management involves not only everyday travel needs but also provides planning capabilities for educational and athletic tours. Travel Tracker is a specialized cloud-based software that caters to these events in particular. This software uses Google maps as a part of its interface. Since this software focuses on catering to authorized school trips, it has a feature that provides automated permission slips. Email routing and processing of these permission slips are also a feature of Travel Tracker. 

Since it uses Google maps as its navigation tool, the software includes automatic map updates and route optimization. 

6. Loqqat

Loqqat is an all-around school transport management system that is accessible in both web and mobile formats. It is a helpful tool in providing the optimally safest routes for everyday travel. It also helps in setting the schedule of the trips and assigning them to the drivers. As it is available as a mobile app for both Android and iOS, parents can download it to their phones to keep updated on their child’s trip to and from school.  

The app also provides timely updates and notifications to both the school administration and the parents. Notifications go out if the driver encounters any delays, as well as when the bus arrives at the destination. If the bus doesn’t arrive on time, the parents will already know why. 

7. IntelliShift

IntelliShift is a favored fleet management software for different enterprises with over 75 vehicles in their fleet. This cloud-based SaaS provides solutions according to the needs of your fleet. It has AI video dash cams that are dependable for conflict resolution purposes. It also has features for route management and fuel management. 

IntelliShift makes use of telematics in which drivers of cars within short distances of each other can connect and share information. Let’s say there is a multiple car collision three blocks from your location. Another IntelliShift user near the area can share the information so that other drivers can reroute. This feature is especially helpful for school bus drivers because of timing restrictions. 

8. Verizon Connect 

Verizon Connect is another fleet management software that supports a school’s transport management efforts. Unlike IntelliShift, Verizon Connect is more suitable for smaller fleets. This management software provides an analysis report regarding the fleet’s performance. This feature is necessary for school transport vehicles because they use it as a metric for how secure the school’s transport safety measures are in practice. 

In analyzing the metric, the report includes a listing of unsafe behavior during travel and the number of unauthorized uses, if any. With this data in hand, the school’s administration can hold perpetrators accountable. 

FAQs

Why is school transport management important?

Integrating transport management into your school management system is important because it ensures the safety and security of your students. Safety is a major concern among parents. Showing that your organization is willing to invest in their children’s safety will always leave a good impression.

What is a smart school transport management system?

A smart management system includes the use of automated systems, such as the ones mentioned in the list above. It is considered a smart system because of the automated and timely updates, and the use of high-end technology to resolve common issues.

Final Words

Traveling, regardless of how short or long the distance, always holds the possibility of accidents along the way. Parents know this and want everything possible to be done to keep their children safe as they travel to and from school. Schools share in this commitment to student safety and wish to earn and hold parents’ votes of confidence.  

The school transport management system is just one of many measures that school administrations invest in to ensure that students safely enjoy their experience at school. These system advantages are a necessity for schools to manage and track their transport vehicle fleet properly. In using a transport management system, schools work smart to improve transport operations; keeping parents informed and their students safe.

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