In the 2022-2023 school year, school buses were reported to be responsible for transporting around 20.5 million public school students. In our world today, safety can be compromised at any second, and while most of a student’s day is spent in a classroom, the journey to and from school grounds is just as important. Equipping school bus drivers with the tools they need to help ensure safety from pick-up to drop-off can make a significant difference, especially when communicating with school officials. Bus drivers are often faced with challenges while on the road, such as bad weather, traffic or even unfolding events on the bus while in transport. Contracted bus drivers should have safe and reliable connectivity with officials to communicate any delays or issues they encounter while on their journey to school.
Approximately 2,500 school and employee bus transportation services in the US contract with public school districts, private schools, parents, colleges and universities, airports, and private businesses to provide bus and shuttle services for students and workers. About one-third of the 13,600 public school districts in the US outsource student transportation services and that number is expected to grow. Help bridge the communication gap between contracted drivers and the districts they work with by leveraging our WAVE PTX portfolio of broadband communication. From GPS location tracking to reliable coverage and more – you’ll never have to second guess safety for school pick-up.
Discover the three key points to know about using WAVE PTX for driver connectivity:
1) Real-time visibility into bus location: Maintain your commitment to safe drop-off by allowing visibility into bus location with WAVE GPS location tracking. If a bus is running behind or is stalled in traffic, find a real-time location at the click of a button.
2) Non-radio user interoperability: With the WAVE PTX mobile app, you can turn your smartphone into a device that can receive and send push-to-talk (PTT) calls. Equip non-radio users inside the school or at your company with the ability to communicate with drivers if information needs to be shared while on the road.
3) Broadband coverage: In the event of construction detours or an emergency, no matter how far your bus needs to go to ensure safe drop-off, the driver can stay connected through broadband PTT on the nationwide network. Your team can also connect with school personnel to make sure the bus’s location is communicated and passengers are accounted for.
Ultimately, the top priority for parents, guardians and caretakers is ensuring their child’s safety on the way to school, at school, and on their way home. Provide an extra layer of connectivity and safety while giving your drivers the tools to relay critical information. Learn more about our WAVE PTX solution here.
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