Daily runs planned by themselves
Every route gets its run for today and the coming days by itself: vehicle, crew, stops, times and that day's riders. The driver starts it, each stop records the delay, and the run ends or is cancelled.
PLANSEvery plan
The problem it solves
- Each morning someone prints the day's list, and it is already out of date.
- Nobody can say which bus left late, and by how much.
- A bus goes out with lapsed insurance because nobody checked.
- At the end of the day nobody can say for certain who was on the bus.
How it works
- Every hour the system plans the runs of today and the next day: one per route and working day, skipping no-transport days.
- Each run takes the route's vehicle, driver and helper, the stops with their planned times, and the riders of that day. Riders who said not riding are already marked.
- The driver, the helper or the office presses Start. A run without a vehicle, or with a lapsed paper, does not start unless the office writes a reason.
- At each stop the arrival is recorded, from the Crew app or from GPS (Growth), with the minutes late against the planned time.
- The driver presses End Run. Riders still on board become Dropped and riders never seen become Missed.
- The office can change the vehicle or crew of one run, or cancel it with Cancel Run.
Everything it does
Planning
- Every hour, for today and Plan Runs Days Ahead (1 to start with)
- One run per route and date, for active routes with stops, on their working days, except no-transport days
- Planned times follow the Entity's time zone
- Runs cannot be made by hand; a one-off trip is a vehicle booking (Scale)
- A rider added or changed later is on the runs planned after
The run
- Status: Planned, Running, Done or Cancelled
- Stops tab: planned time, expected time, arrived and left
- Riders tab: Expected, Boarded, Dropped, Not Riding or Missed, with the time, note and who marked it
- A count such as 12 of 30 boarded; filters Today, Running and My Runs
Start, stops and end
- Start needs a vehicle; the reasons not to go are listed in red on the run
- Reasons: a lapsed vehicle or crew paper; from Scale also a vehicle off the road and a missing trip checklist
- Only the office can let it go, with a reason in Allowed Despite; the start is noted in the run's history
- Arrival at a stop sets Delay (min) against its planned time
- End Run: Boarded becomes Dropped, Expected becomes Missed
Changes and cancelling
- Vehicle, driver and helper can be changed while the run is Planned or Running
- Cancel Run, by the office, for a Planned or Running run, after a confirmation
- The office notes why in Cancel Reason on the run
- A no-transport day cancels the day's planned runs with its name as the reason
Who uses it
Driver or helperStarts the run, marks arrival at stops in the Crew app, and ends it.
Transport officeWatches the day's runs, changes the vehicle or crew, lets a run go with a reason, or cancels it.
Rider or parentSees today's runs and, from Growth, is told when the run starts, is late or is cancelled.
Where you use it
- Web: Transport > Operations > Route Runs
- The SmartMy Transit Crew app: today's runs, Start, Arrive at a stop, End (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
- The SmartMy Transit Rider app and, from Growth, the My transport web page: today's rides and history
- Not on the web: marking a stop reached or a rider boarded by hand; that is done in the Crew app
What you control
Settings
- Plan Runs Days Ahead: 1 (today and tomorrow)
- Delay Alert After (minutes): 15
- Working days per route: Monday to Friday to start with
Notifications
- From Growth, to the people told about each rider, by topic: Run Started and Vehicle at the Stop (the person can switch these off)
- Run Delayed (once a run, at Delay Alert After), Rider Missed the Vehicle (at End Run), Vehicle / Driver Changed, Run Cancelled
- These go out at once; only a channel such as email can be switched off. Sent in the app and by email
Works with
SmartMy HRMSStarting and ending a run punches the driver and helper in and out. A driver on approved leave is flagged on the run with a task.
SmartMy CampusTransport attendance per student, class, day and leg from the runs; from Growth, riders with overdue transport fees are left out of new runs.
Questions
Do we have to create the runs each day?
No. Runs are planned by themselves every hour, for today and the next day to start with. You cannot create a run by hand.What stops a run from starting?
No vehicle, or a lapsed paper of the vehicle, driver or helper; from Scale also a vehicle off the road or a missing checklist. The office can let it go with a reason.How is the delay worked out?
When the vehicle arrives at a stop, its arrival is compared with the stop's planned time. The latest difference in minutes is the run's delay.Without GPS, how are stops marked as reached?
The driver or helper taps Arrive in the Crew app. The app is built and being tested; it is not in the app stores yet. Without the app or GPS, stops are not marked.Are parents told the reason when we cancel a run?
From Growth they are told it is cancelled. A no-transport day puts its name in the message as the reason.Related features
STOPS, ROUTES, RIDERSStops and routes with planned timesPut every stop on the map with a radius. Build pickup, drop and shuttle routes with the stops in order and a planned time at each. Each route has its usual vehicle, driver, helper, working days and seats.STOPS, ROUTES, RIDERSRiders with their route, stop and daysEach rider has their service (pickup, drop or both), the route and stop for each leg, and the days they ride. You choose who is told about each rider, the rider, a parent or a guardian, topic by topic.DAILY RUNSNo-transport days for holidays and strikesMark holidays, exam days and strike days once, for every route or only some. No runs are planned on those days, runs already planned are cancelled with your reason, and from Growth riders and parents are told why."NOT RIDING""Not riding" for a day or one legA parent, the rider or the transport office says a rider will not ride on a day, for one leg or both. The run's rider list changes at once, and the office, the people you name and the driver are told.PHONE APPSThe Crew app for drivers and helpersSmartMy Transit Crew puts the driver's and helper's day on their phone: today's runs, start and end. It shows each stop with its riders, boarded, dropped and absent, and the boarding card scan. With higher plans the phone also tracks the vehicle, carries an SOS button, the trip checklist, fuel, breakdowns and boarding by face.DOCUMENTSVehicle and driver papers with remindersKeep each vehicle's registration, insurance, pollution certificate, fitness, permit and road tax. Keep each driver's and helper's licence, badge, medical and police verification, with their end dates. You are reminded before they lapse, and a run does not start with a lapsed paper unless the office writes a reason.
See your own routes on the map.
Send us your stops and routes and we will show you a demo with them.