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School bus driver and attendant app
The parent app gets the attention, but the bus runs on the driver app. If the people on the bus find it simple, the whole system works.
Why the driver app decides whether tracking works
Drivers and attendants start before anyone else in the school is awake. They deal with traffic, children, parents at stops and last-minute changes. An app that is fiddly or full of screens will be ignored, and then the parent app shows wrong information. Satcop keeps the driver and attendant app small on purpose: it does the few things the crew needs on a trip, and nothing else.
What the app shows
- Trip and navigation. The day's trip with turn-by-turn navigation, so a substitute driver can run an unfamiliar route.
- Students in pickup order. The list of assigned students, in the order the bus reaches them.
- In and out report. Who has boarded and who has been dropped, updated as children tap their RFID cards.
- Attendant attendance marking. The attendant can mark a child present when needed.
- Wrong-direction alert. Staff are alerted if the bus leaves its planned path.
- SOS to the admin. One button that alerts the school admin, with the bus location already on the dashboard.
A morning with the app
The driver starts the bus and opens the app. The trip and the student list are already there. As the bus moves, the 4G GPS tracker sends its position about every 5 seconds, so the driver does not have to keep the app open for tracking to work. At each stop, children tap their cards; the attendant's list updates and parents see the boarding in their app. If a child is missing, the attendant can see it on the list before the bus leaves.
When the plan changes
Families move house, routes change mid-term and drivers fall sick. When the transport manager allocates a student to another bus, the driver app shows the updated list. A relief driver on a new route gets the same navigation and pickup order as the regular driver, which matters most on the first day.
Driver-only vans and buses
On a van or bus with no attendant, the driver app is the crew's only channel to the school, so training and a clear SOS plan matter more. Our school van tracking page covers driver-only vehicles.
Training the crew
We train drivers and attendants during installation: opening the trip, reading the student list, what to do when a card does not scan, and when to press SOS. We suggest a short refresher at the start of each term, together with a practice SOS. The SOS alert page explains what the school office does when an alert arrives.
Part of one system
The driver app is one of four apps on the same trip: the parent app, the driver and attendant app, the transport manager's dashboard and the admin console. The transport management system page shows how a single event on the bus appears in each one.
Frequently asked questions
What does the school bus driver app do?
It shows the trip and navigation, assigned students in pickup order, an in and out report, attendant attendance marking, a wrong-direction alert and an SOS to the school admin.
Does tracking stop if the driver closes the app?
No. Live location comes from the 4G GPS tracker wired into the bus, which reports about every 5 seconds.
Can the attendant use the same app?
Yes. It is a driver and attendant app; either can mark attendance and raise an SOS.
What happens when a student changes bus?
The transport manager allocates the student to the new bus and the driver app shows the updated list.
Do you train our drivers?
Yes. Satcop trains drivers and attendants during installation, including when to use the SOS.
More from Satcop for schools
See the driver app in a demo
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