Almost all the schools of this era offer a bus transportation system for students as well as staff.
There has been so much novelty in the world of transportation, and still, there is diverse automation to come. Technology in the manufacturing of school buses keeps enhancing with every passing year.
The safety and security of students and staff is the primary concern taken into consideration. It also takes care of the fact that the school bus service is suitable and accountable for all.
Various key trends are emerging and implemented by schools and sometimes by parents and the bus operators.
1. Timer-based Block Heating
In colder places, heating of the buses in the morning can be an issue. A smart timer in the block heater automatically ignites the engine.
It is a pre-programmed mechanism that is to be started with the engine. It helps the engine get warm and ready when the driver reaches to begin his trip.
It is useful in cutting the cost of constant heating, which is unsuitable and removes the need to pay the driver for additional warming hours in the morning. This timer-based heating mechanism is beneficial in saving up to 80% of the costs according to the climate changes.
2. Telematics
Telematics is used to automate various manual and decoupled tasks. It is connected with all the electronic equipment in the bus and transfers the data to the fleet manager.
3. Live Camera Feed
Cameras help to obtain live camera feeds of students inside the school bus. Parents, school authorities, as well as drivers, can view this feed via their console. It saves time, and it adds to comfort, convenience, and safety for all.
One can keep an eye on student’s behavior, their activities, seating, and safety issues. It helps the driver in regulating the student’s discipline without leaving his seat.
4. Auto Routing
School bus routing is challenging for transport managers as they need to keep an eye on the bus routes, check the seating capacity, and much more. But with the help of software, routing has become much more comfortable as it has an auto-routing feature which does the path automatically with the use of its smart routing algorithm.
5. Wi-Fi Connectivity
Wi-Fi on buses is a necessary feature that enables all the software and systems to work without any interruption.
Installing Wi-Fi on the bus saves on money and time augmenting the capabilities of the system working on the bus.
Students spend a lot of time traveling on the school bus to and from the institutes. Wi-Fi will help them use their time by either studying or searching for reference materials online for the further studies.
It will be beneficial for those students who lack internet facilities in their homes. It’s because nowadays a lot of homework is done online and online study is appreciated.
Moreover, safe internet access with data usage reporting will ensure that students don’t misuse the Wi-Fi for their entertainment or any other game.
6. Increased Adaption of Alternate Fuel, Particularly Electricity
Out of various trends coming in many areas in school transportation, one such direction is new electric buses.
Diesel and other fuels still dominate the bus industry, but they are in decline. Today worldwide, we are draining petroleum resources which are forcing us to go for alternatives.
People are excited by the invention of new electric school buses that can meet or beat the power of fossil fuels but in a much more cost-effective and eco-friendly manner.
In addition to all this, electric vehicles often see lower maintenance cost. Other alternatives are compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, and much more.
7. Video Mirrors
Video mirrors are used to beat the risks that can emerge from the blind spots of the large buses. So they fix at least four cameras to provide a 360-degree view. Drivers can automatically adjust the view at sharp curves or turns and switch to rear-view when the bus is in reverse mode.
8. Alcohol Detection
There are many past cases when the drivers were found under the influence of alcohol while driving. Several times, they were successful in hiding it, but now it’s not possible in school buses as there is a sensor that detects alcohol in the driver.
It can be installed on the steering wheel, which helps the bus to stop when it detects any unsafe driving because of alcohol before it reaches the road.
Conclusion
These are the trends that have metamorphosed school transportation management. They help the new drivers to have better control of the school bus and give parents the peace of mind.
A school bus tracking system helps parents keep an eye on their children while they are traveling on the school bus. These new trends ensure the safety of students, school transportation management, parents as well as bus drivers.
And it has become much easier to checkout the activities of students while they are on the bus.
