Parents told when the bus starts, nears the stop and the child boards
Riders and parents hear when the run starts, when the bus is a few minutes away and when it reaches the stop. Then they hear when the rider boards, is dropped or misses the bus. Delays, a change of vehicle or driver and a cancelled run are told too, the moment they happen.
PLANSFrom Growth
The problem it solves
- Parents wait at the stop for 20 minutes because nobody said the bus is late.
- A parent learns the child missed the bus only when the school calls.
- The office spends the morning answering "where is the bus" calls.
- The bus was changed after a breakdown, and parents do not recognise it.
How it works
- On each rider, the transport office lists who is told: the rider, a parent, a guardian or another person. Each gets the topics they choose (Trip, Boarding, Changes). For students, parents are added by themselves.
- When the driver starts the run, those with Trip ticked hear "run started".
- With tracking, the bus's expected time at each stop is worked out every minute. When it is 10 minutes away (a setting), the riders still expected at that stop are told; when it arrives, they are told again.
- When the helper marks the rider boarded or dropped, by button, card or face, the parents hear at once. At the end of the run, riders never marked are told they missed the bus.
- Everyone with Changes ticked hears of a delay past 15 minutes (a setting), a new vehicle or driver, or a cancelled run with its reason.
Everything it does
Trip messages (Trip topic)
- Run Started: when the driver starts the run
- Vehicle Near the Stop: with the minutes left, when the expected time is within the set lead (10 minutes to start with); needs tracking
- Vehicle at the Stop: when the bus reaches the stop. From the GPS area around the stop (100 metres to start with) or the driver's Arrived button
- Near and arrived go only on pickup and shuttle runs, and only to riders still expected at that stop
- Informational: each person can switch the transport trip messages off in their notification settings
Boarding messages (Boarding topic)
- Rider Boarded and Rider Dropped: at the moment the crew marks it, by button, card scan or face
- Rider Missed the Vehicle: when the run ends and the rider was never marked
- Work messages: the person cannot switch them off, only a channel such as email
Change messages (Changes topic)
- Run Delayed: once a run, when it is later than Delay Alert After (15 minutes to start with)
- Vehicle / Driver Changed: when today's run gets another vehicle or driver, for example after a breakdown
- Run Cancelled: with the reason, including a no-transport day added for a holiday
- Work messages: cannot be switched off by the person
Channels and delivery
- A phone notification to people with the app and the in-app inbox, plus the first of WhatsApp, SMS and email that works for that person
- WhatsApp and SMS need your provider and approved templates; email needs an address on the contact
- Every message goes out at once; quiet hours do not hold transport messages
- Each message is in the Delivery Log, with the reason when it could not be sent
- An administrator can switch an event off, or change its channels, for an Entity
Who is told
- The recipient lines on the rider, each with role and topics; all three topics ticked to start with
- No lines: the rider is told
- With SmartMy Campus: Transport Messages To: from the institution type, Parents Only (school) or Student and Parents (college), also per student
Who uses it
Parent or guardianGets the messages for the topics ticked for them, and can switch off trip messages or a channel.
Rider (college student, employee)Gets their own messages when recorded as a recipient, or by default with no recipients.
Transport in-chargeSets who is told about each rider and which topics, the lead minutes and the delay limit.
Helper and driverStart the run and mark riders; their actions send the messages.
Where you use it
- The SmartMy Transit Rider app: phone notifications and the inbox, with Notification settings (built; never run on a phone yet, not in the app stores)
- WhatsApp, SMS and email: where your Entity has the provider and the contact has the number or address
- Web: the recipients on Transport > Riders > Riders; the timings on the Entity form, Transport tab; Notifications > Delivery Log
- Not on Starter: Starter records boarding but sends no messages to riders or parents
What you control
Settings
- Who is told and which topics, per rider (Trip, Boarding, Changes all ticked to start with)
- Tell Riders When Minutes Away: 10
- Delay Alert After (minutes): 15
- Stop radius: 100 metres per stop
- With SmartMy Campus: Transport Messages To, per Entity and per student
- Per event: on or off, and its channels, per Entity
Notifications
- Run Started, Vehicle Near the Stop, Vehicle at the Stop: to recipients with Trip ticked; informational, can be switched off by the person
- Rider Boarded, Rider Dropped, Rider Missed the Vehicle: to recipients with Boarding ticked; cannot be switched off
- Run Delayed, Vehicle / Driver Changed, Run Cancelled: to recipients with Changes ticked; cannot be switched off
- All: phone notification plus the first of WhatsApp, SMS or email, and in-app, sent at once
Works with
SmartMy CampusParents of each student are told by themselves, as parents only (school) or student and parents (college).
Questions
Can a parent stop the "bus is near" messages?
Yes. In the app's notification settings a parent can switch off transport trip messages (started, near, arrived) together, or a channel such as email. The office can also untick Trip for that parent.Can a parent stop the "boarded" messages?
Not the message itself; boarding, missed and change messages always arrive. A parent can switch off a channel, and the office can untick the Boarding topic for them.Do the messages come on WhatsApp?
Yes, where your Entity has a WhatsApp provider with approved templates. Parents with the app get a phone notification plus one of WhatsApp, SMS or email.When is a parent told the child boarded?
The moment the helper marks it, by button, card scan or face. If nobody marks it, the parent is told the child missed the bus when the run ends.Is "bus is near" sent without GPS?
No. It needs the bus's position from a GPS unit or the driver's phone. Run started, boarded, dropped, delay and changes do not need GPS.Related features
BOARDINGBoarded, dropped and absent, with a QR cardThe driver or helper marks each rider Boarded, Dropped or Absent on today's run, by a button or by scanning the rider's boarding card. When the run ends, anyone never marked is Missed, so you know for each child whether they rode.ARRIVAL TIMESExpected arrival times that learn from real runsEvery stop of a running run gets an expected arrival time, worked out again every minute from where the vehicle is. Arrival and departure are recorded by themselves when the vehicle enters and leaves the stop's circle. The times between stops learn from the route's recent runs on the same weekday.PHONE APPSThe Rider app for riders and parentsSmartMy Transit Rider shows riders and parents today's rides, the stop time, the rider's state and past rides. They can also say "not riding". From Growth the bus moves on a map with the expected time at your stop.TRACKING SET-UPGPS tracking devices on your vehiclesEach vehicle reports its position through a GPS unit or the driver's phone to our own Traccar tracking server. SmartMy Transit reads the positions from there for the live map, arrival times, trips and alerts. Your Entity's speed limit goes to every device.BREAKDOWN AND REPLACEMENT VEHICLEBreakdowns and replacement vehiclesWhen a vehicle breaks down on a run, the driver reports it from the Crew app. A job card takes the vehicle off the road and the office is alerted at once. The office picks a replacement from vehicles that are free, with valid papers and enough seats, and riders are told of the change.ACROSS SMARTMY TRANSITNotificationsSmartMy Transit tells parents when the bus starts, nears the stop and their child boards. It tells the office about SOS alerts and riders not riding, and keeps people asking for a vehicle informed. Each event has its own recipients and channels: phone notification, in-app, WhatsApp, SMS or email.
See your own routes on the map.
Send us your stops and routes and we will show you a demo with them.