A new implementation of technology has been approved by the Calgary Board of Education this week that will allow parents and school management to know the exact location of their children’s buses. Parents even have the option of downloading an app on their kids’ devices, or on a “Z-Pass” card, that syncs with the GPS Tracking data and allows them to see when and where their kids get picked up or dropped off.
The Calgary Catholic School District has also approved a plan to implement GPS Tracking for their entire fleet of school buses in general. First Student, Southland Transportation and Wilco Transportation carriers will all have GPS Units installed so that parents and schools can be alerted if a bus is running late or has broken down somewhere.
The community in Calgary has got it right. Parents have always been at the mercy of their school bus drivers. Seeing as most households have two working parents, it is a comfort for them to know that they will be instantly notified should any issue arise while their children are in route. It allows for peace of mind to know that there are mini reports being generated every few minutes that let the school know if any bus in their fleet is stopped, speeding, idling somewhere, accelerating too hard or driving aggressively.
Some GPS Tracking companies like FieldLogix even offer driver behavior training along with the purchase of the company’s GPS Units. This could help educate bus drivers on safe practices, fuel efficiency and even route planning.
All together, the implementation of technology in Calgary’s school buses demonstrate the benefits that can take place when innovation is accepted and put into action. The Canadian community will now be able to feel much more confident in their children’s safety and whereabouts, while the schools will be able to improve their reliability and the efficiency of their bus operations overall.