How poor school bus route planning & management leads to safeguarding issues, problems with sustainability and inefficiencies.
The journey that any School Buses take is hugely important in ensuring that safety and efficiency can be kept as a top priority. In this article, we’ll look at what issues arise when route planning & optimisation are not properly considered.
Safety
Communication between school & Driver
Schools need to know which child is on what route so that they can easily communicate with the correct driver if there are any problems.
Student Pickup
Parents/guardians need to know which route is being used and where the nearest stop is. This is so that they can make sure their child gets to the stop on time and safely.
Sustainability
Efficient routes lead to fuel efficiency
Route planning is important for schools and operators from a sustainability perspective. The more efficient the route is, the less distance the bus has to go and the less fuel will be used. Morning routes taken by the school bus should always be heading towards the school not away from it and vice versa for journeys from school to students’ homes.
Idling whilst waiting on students
Parents/guardians need to know what time the bus will come so they can make sure their child is ready. Otherwise, unprepared students will hold up the school bus service and cause increased idling pollution. Also, any stops unused by students that a School Bus stops at, increases vehicle idling time and causes more needless pollution. This, therefore, requires accurate route timetabling to be in place and parents/guardians to be notified of those times.
Efficiency
Students are not kept waiting
Students are less likely to be waiting at stops for extended periods of time when a School Bus route is optimised. Especially in the winter months when it is cold and dark. An optimised route helps keep students safe and healthy.
Student’s education is not affected
If school bus services are more efficient, this means that student’s education is not being held up by traffic. Classes can start on time. Students can get to school early, catch up with friends and mentally prepare for the day ahead. An optimised service removes rush from the start of a student’s day. This allows them to focus on the most important part of a school day which is learning. It also removes additional stress when they are returning home after a long day.
Avoiding unexpected congestion/road closures
Not all accidents or sudden road closures can be avoided. However, having route management that is agile, can help drivers avoid unnecessary delays to a school bus journey whilst successfully transporting all students to school.
With a school start having enough stresses of its own, having an efficient school bus service where routes are optimised takes the pressure off. It more importantly puts the focus back onto student wellbeing and learning.
For more information about how we can help optimise your school bus service, please head to our Rygo page.
