# Getting smart with the school run: How today’s tech can safeguard our children when travelling to school Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-07-02 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Making the School Bus Run Safer and Smarter Meta Description: Discover how innovative technology is transforming the safety of school bus journeys, from real-time tracking to contact tracing, for a safer, greener, and URL: https://financedigest.com/getting-smart-with-the-school-run-how-todays-tech-can-safeguard-our-children-when-travelling-to-schoolhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/students-studying-in-university-library-1736838235579-compressed.jpg) _By: **Godfrey Ryan**, CEO of school transport provider Kura_ Among the more emotive topics discussed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has been the return of children to schools. With community outbreaks being linked to transmissions within the classroom, everyone from cabinet ministers, to scientists, to parents, to the children themselves have expressed concerns around safety. For the most part, schools have responded deftly, implementing various strategies such as strict social distancing guidelines, organising single [year group](https://www.financedigest.com/scottys-little-soldiers-become-incentive-fm-groups-chosen-charity-in-three-year-partnership.html "Scotty’s Little Soldiers Become Incentive FM Group’s Chosen Charity In Three Year Partnership") only assemblies, and the installation of sanitising stations in multiple locations within the school grounds. However, it is the journey to and from school where the best efforts of all responsible for children’s [safety risks](https://www.financedigest.com/risking-death-at-sea-rohingya-muslims-seek-safety-in-indonesia.html "Risking death at sea, Rohingya Muslims seek safety in Indonesia") is being undermined. Despite the ongoing digitisation within the classroom environment, with interactive whiteboards, tablets, and bespoke [educational software](https://www.financedigest.com/iris-software-group-acquires-parentmail-to-extend-education-software-portfolio.html "IRIS Software Group Acquires ParentMail to Extend Education Software Portfolio") now the norm, the school bus run remains a relic of the past. Not only have these vehicles barely evolved over the decades but with around a quarter of traffic during [rush hour still attributed to school](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-learn-how-to-profit-from-the-transaction-banking-gold-rush-at-annual-igtb-oxford-school.html "Banks learn how to profit from the transaction banking gold rush at annual iGTB Oxford School") drop-offs and pick-ups, the impact too from cars on congestion, pollution, student safety, and wellbeing is proving unsustainable. As with so many obstacles we have faced over the decades, [technology is emerging to provide](https://www.financedigest.com/inmobi-wins-gold-silver-bronze-mma-smarties-mena-awards-named-technology-provider-of-the-year-for-fourth-consecutive-year.html "InMobi Wins Gold, Silver, Bronze MMA SMARTIES MENA Awards, Named “Technology Provider of the Year” for Fourth Consecutive Year") the answers for even this most contemporary of problems – how the school run can be made safer, greener, and smarter. **To be safe, we’ve got to get smart** Current measures to [protect children](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-opposition-calls-for-better-online-protections-for-children.html "UK opposition calls for better online protections for children") who take the bus to school generally consist of social distancing strategies such as instructing the first pupils boarding to sit at the rear of the vehicle, cordoning off every alternating seat, and drivers exiting the vehicle when pupils board and alight. However, such analogue methodologies are limited in their efficacy and it’s a fact parents are becoming [increasingly aware](https://www.financedigest.com/increasing-consumer-awareness-to-fuel-adoption-of-trailer-suspension-system-market.html "Increasing Consumer Awareness to Fuel Adoption of Trailer Suspension System Market") of. A [survey](https://ridekura.com/green-guide/) undertaken by Kura revealed growing parental concern around the inability to track their children during journeys to and from school with one in five parents (21%) claiming they would be reassured if they could track their child’s journey every day. Meanwhile, Google [reported](https://www.financedigest.com/its-back-to-school-for-investors-as-uk-student-accommodation-less-vulnerable-to-brexit-shock-reports-jll.html "It’s back to school for investors as UK student accommodation “less vulnerable to Brexit shock” reports JLL") a 233% spike in searches for “school track and trace” between September and October 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. To meet these new and very real pandemic­-inspired concerns, [technology has been developed which not only alerts parents when their child taps on and off a service](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-services-technology-development-in-2023.html "Financial Services technology development in 2023") using an issued NFC tracking fob, but can also be used to support contact tracing. This means that, where a confirmed or [suspected case](https://www.financedigest.com/belgian-court-decides-to-keep-eu-corruption-case-suspect-in-detention.html "Belgian court decides to keep EU corruption case suspect in detention") is reported, a transport provider can generate a contact-tracing report and provide the school with all the necessary data. [Equipped with this data](https://www.financedigest.com/crowdsourcing-of-data-to-drive-the-patient-handling-equipments-market.html "Crowdsourcing of data to drive the Patient Handling Equipments Market"), the school can quickly identify those in contact with the student presenting Covid-19 symptoms – even during the journey – and immediately alert parents. From a safeguarding perspective, data collated from the fobs can be checked against the expected list for that [day and parents can also track](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-finds-cases-after-five-days-of-zero-covid-but-end-of-lockdown-on-track.html "Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track") their child’s journey in real-time. Moreover, school bus drivers can use dedicated apps on their mobile devices to transfer all [data and communications seamlessly and securely](https://www.financedigest.com/assurance-v-security-reassessing-responsibility-for-data-assurance.html "Assurance v Security: Reassessing Responsibility for Data Assurance"), meaning the school can monitor every aspect of the journey across every route, including location and speed of travel. **We can’t safeguard children without safeguarding the environment** Increased car usage for school runs is a regrettable consequence of Covid-19, with Kura’s survey showing nearly one in four schools (23.2%) believing that [parents will favour driving their children](https://www.financedigest.com/nearly-half-of-parents-still-give-pocket-money-to-their-adult-children.html "Nearly half of parents still give pocket money to their adult children") to and from school themselves to minimise transmission risk. The inevitable consequence of this is more cars on the road, leading to increased congestion, an uptick in carbon emissions, and school entrances [becoming a melee of moving](https://www.financedigest.com/bangladesh-moves-up-the-ranks-and-could-become-the-24th-largest-economy-by-2036.html "Bangladesh moves up the ranks and could become the 24th largest economy by 2036") vehicles. Yet, as long as bus companies are unable to offer Covid-secure [travel equipped with tracking technologies](https://www.financedigest.com/contactless-technology-a-revolution-in-travel.html "Contactless Technology: A Revolution in Travel"), this will be the preferred option for many parents. By embracing new technologies and implementing them smartly, schools can improve pupil safety and wellbeing, remove the burden of the school run from parents, and significantly improve the school’s [carbon footprint](https://www.financedigest.com/coca-cola-digital-ad-campaigns-use-seenthis-streaming-technology-to-avoid-excessive-carbon-footprint.html "Coca-Cola Digital Ad Campaigns Use SeenThis Streaming Technology to Avoid Excessive Carbon Footprint") – as well as reducing congestion in the local area. For the pupils, it means Covid-secure travel, safer access to and from the school entrance, [cleaner air](https://www.financedigest.com/head-to-malaga-to-breathe-cleaner-air-in-your-second-home.html "Head to Malaga to breathe cleaner air in your second home"), and thousands of kilos of CO2 prevented from reaching the atmosphere and contributing to a climate crisis that could yet define their futures. **Schools have done incredibly well to survive, now [it’s time](https://www.financedigest.com/why-its-time-to-adapt-to-the-virtual-world-how-to-master-online-negotiations.html "Why it’s time to adapt to the virtual world: how to master online negotiations") to thrive** Though the vaccine rollout is removing some stresses, [schools remain under enormous pressure to ensure pupils’ education](https://www.financedigest.com/1-in-3-adults-dont-believe-school-education-prepared-them-for-adult-life.html "1 in 3 adults don’t believe school education prepared them for adult life") resumes with intensity and is protected from further Covid-19 disruption. Having spent over a year either [closed or in some form of survival](https://www.financedigest.com/closing-the-funding-gap-how-alternative-lenders-the-secret-to-sme-survival-in-europe.html "Closing the funding gap: How alternative lenders the secret to SME survival in Europe") mode, schools must now look to innovate and adapt to what will be, in many respects, a different world. Apart from smooth and secure school runs providing the ideal start to a day of learning, the [ability to manage them and be flexible to changing demand and geographic spread of students](https://www.financedigest.com/student-loans-hurting-workers-ability-to-save-for-retirement.html "STUDENT LOANS HURTING WORKERS’ ABILITY TO SAVE FOR RETIREMENT") allows schools to differentiate themselves from others and aid the transition from survive to thrive. As it stands, despite 40% of schools believing technology is key to more efficient management, less than a quarter (22.8%) have [invested in tech](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-dominos-expects-tech-investments-to-hit-2023-profit.html "UK’s Domino’s expects tech investments to hit 2023 profit") to manage school transport over the last decade. Raising that figure could deliver profound advantages to schools, parents, the environment, and, most importantly, to our children. ![](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/picture7-300x300-1736838235394-compressed.jpg) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---