Enhances safety for student riders
PSD’s Transportation Department's scan-card system enhances the safety for students who ride the bus.
Here's how the system works:
After the first day of school, schools hand out scan cards to students approved to ride the bus. The scan card has the name of the student, bus stop(s) and a unique QR code. To help kids keep track of them, cards are fastened to elementary students’ backpacks or bags.
High schoolers are issued a card but they can also use the barcode on their school student IDs, once they receive them. Additionally, any student can download the free, “Here Comes the Bus” mobile app and scan onto their bus.
Buses have been outfitted with scanners like those you see at grocery stores, and students will scan the QR codes and barcodes as they board and exit. Using information that appears on a mounted tablet, drivers will confirm that a student is on the correct bus to get to their correct bus stop – or direct them to where they need to be, instead. If a student loses their card, drivers can search for their name in the new system.
Technological enhancements like this complement PSD’s already safety-focused Transportation Department. Existing features include GPS systems in PSD buses that allow parents to securely track the real-time location of their student’s bus, and even get notifications when the bus approaches their students stop. They can sign up for this free service through the “Here Comes the Bus” app.
The app can be accessed through desktop or mobile devices. Information is secure and provided to parents through a private ID that grants access to only their child’s bus information.