Schools take to van-tracking system big time

Van-tracking system is fast catching up among schools in the City.

This academic year, several schools will be upgrading safety measures by implementing school van-tracking system.

Through this, parents will get constant updates about the time and the route taken by the school vans.

Suma S R, who is enrolling her daughter into one such school promising the facility, said: “My daughter will be joining Class 7 at Narayana E Techno School in Laggere. The school has collected our phone numbers at the time of admission. I am relieved as I do not have to keep worrying about what time my child will reach home, or whether she has reached the school safe. We will get an SMS when the van leaves the school and at every point where it stops. We get updates on the distance of the van from home and by what time the child will reach home.”

In most cases, schools are located 10 minutes away from the children’s homes.

However, it would take at least 25 minutes for the van to reach homes, with various stops in between.

The new system will be helpful for the van drivers also.

Since parents keep calling the drivers to find out where the van is, this way the drivers also would not be distracted.

However, this will work only if schools have someone constantly monitoring the transport system and if parents actively keep themselves updated about it.

Also, children need to be told about the new tracking system so that they are aware of it in case of emergencies, Suma added.

Transport safety

Among schools enhancing transport safety is the Indus International School.

Director (Administration) Maj Kunal Kuttappa said the school operates 26 vans ferrying about 350 students and staff. Overspeeding was their main concern.

In the wake of several reports that raised concerns about students’ safety while travelling, the management decided to upgrade the safety measures, he added.

“Earlier, we had GPS for basic monitoring. Now, we will immediately know if there is overspeeding or route deviation. The school has deputed a transport manager exclusively to monitor the buses,” he said.

Meanwhile, child rights organisations are calling for heightened transport safety and are planning to rope in autos too in the tracking system. Child Rights Trust’s Nagasimha G Rao said their organisation was in talks with the Auto Drivers’ Unions to implement the tracking system.

Schools that have sufficient infrastructure will establish GPS system for school vans. However, schools that lack proper infrastructure face hurdles.