The Rider app for riders and parents
SmartMy 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.
PLANSEvery plan
Built and tested on our test systems; never run on a phone yet and not in the app stores.
The problem it solves
- Parents call the school when the bus is five minutes late.
- Parents stand at the stop not knowing whether the bus has passed.
- A "not coming today" note reaches the office but never the driver.
- Parents of two children on different buses have to ask about each one.
How it works
- The transport office records the parent, or the rider, among the people told about the rider. They sign in to the app with email or mobile number and a password or passkey.
- Today shows each ride of the day: pickup or drop, the route and your stop. In large type it shows the expected time, the planned time, or the time the bus came.
- Under it: the rider's state (expected, boarded, dropped, not riding, missed) with its time, the vehicle and the driver. A parent with several children picks the child at the top.
- While the run is on and the bus is tracked (Growth), a small map shows the bus, your stop and the route line. The screen refreshes every 20 seconds.
- Tell the office records a day the rider will not ride, with the reason. The transport office, the school admin and the crew of that run are told at once. Riding again takes it back.
Everything it does
Today (every plan)
- Each ride: pickup or drop, route, stop, planned time, and "Bus came at" once it arrived
- The rider's state and the time it was marked
- Vehicle, driver and "min late" when the run is behind
- A chooser for parents told about more than one rider
Growth: the bus on the map
- Expected time at your stop, worked out every minute from the bus's position and the route's past runs
- A map with the bus, your stop and the route, while the run is on and the bus has sent a position
- Speed and the time the bus was last seen
- Refresh every 20 seconds; without signal the screen keeps what it shows and tries again
Not riding
- Reasons: Not Travelling, Parent Drops (no pickup), Parent Picks Up (no drop), Other
- For pickup, drop or both, only the legs the rider uses; a day from today on; a note for the office
- Nobody approves it; the run's rider list changes at once
- The days already given are listed with who set them; Riding again withdraws one
History and more
- History: the last 60 rides, newest first, with what happened (dropped, missed, not riding, run cancelled)
- Bookings (Scale): ask for a vehicle, follow it, cancel it; approvers see what waits for them
- Face page (Scale, with boarding by face): read the notice, give or withdraw consent, Everything I agreed to
- Report confidentially, when your organisation has SmartMy Grievance
- Notification settings in the app inbox: switch off a channel, or the trip messages
Who uses it
Parent or guardianWatches today's rides and the bus, says "not riding", and gives face consent for a child.
Rider (college student, employee)Sees their own rides and history and marks days they will not ride.
Transport in-chargeRecords who is told about each rider; that decides who sees the rider in the app.
Where you use it
- The SmartMy Transit Rider app for Android and iPhone (iOS 15.5 or later): built and tested on our test systems. It has never been run on a phone and is not in the app stores yet
- Web: the My transport page shows the same day's times and "not riding" without the map
- With SmartMy Campus: the Transport page of the Campus parent app
- Not the bus on a map on Starter: that needs tracking (Growth)
- Not a change of stop or route by the parent: the transport office does that
What you control
Settings
- Who is told about each rider, with role (the rider, parent, guardian, other) and topics (Trip, Boarding, Changes): all topics ticked to start with
- Also Tell About Not Riding: extra staff, such as the school admin
- Tell Riders When Minutes Away: 10 (Growth)
Notifications
- The trip, boarding and change messages arrive as phone notifications in this app (Growth); see Messages to parents
- Rider Not Riding and Rider Riding Again: to the transport office, the also-tell staff and the run's crew
Works with
SmartMy CampusStudents are riders and parents are told about them by themselves; the Campus parent app has a Transport page too.
SmartMy GrievanceReport confidentially in the Rider app.
Questions
Do parents have to install the app?
No. Without the app, they sign in to the My transport web page on any phone browser for times and "not riding". The live map is only in the app.Is the Rider app in the app stores?
Not yet. It is built and tested on our test systems, but it has not been run on a phone and is not in the stores.Can I see both my children?
Yes. If the office has recorded you for both, pick the child at the top of Today and History.Why is there no map?
The map needs Growth, a running run, and a bus that has sent its position from a GPS unit or the driver's phone.Does someone approve "not riding"?
No. It takes effect at once and the office, the school admin and the driver are told.Related features
WEB PAGES FOR RIDERS AND PARENTSThe My transport web pageA web page for riders and parents, with no app to install. It shows today's rides with the planned and expected time at the stop and the rider's state. "Tell the school" says the rider is not riding. To watch the bus move, parents use the Rider app.MESSAGES TO RIDERS AND PARENTSParents told when the bus starts, nears the stop and the child boardsRiders 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."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.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.BOARDINGBoarding by face at the vehicle doorThe helper's or driver's phone recognises the rider at the door and marks them boarded, then dropped, on today's run, also without mobile signal. Only riders with consent (a parent's for a child) who were enrolled by the transport office are recognised, and no photo is kept.VEHICLE BOOKINGVehicle booking with approvalAnyone with a login asks for a vehicle from the back office, a web page or the Rider app. The request goes through your approval chain, the office assigns a free vehicle and driver, and the trip records the odometer.
See your own routes on the map.
Send us your stops and routes and we will show you a demo with them.