KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
Kansas City Public Schools rolled out new school buses with state-of-the-art technology, providing support and peace of mind to parents across the district.
The new buses provided by Zum Services are equipped with advanced tracking systems, allowing parents to monitor their child’s journey in real-time through a mobile app.
“I think this app improves a lot because the parents, we can see if, for example, how many stops before getting at home," said Miriam Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said it's one less worry for her as a mom with two students with a disability.
"We have to keep the routine every day, the time," said Gonzalez. "With this app, I know what time it's going to pass the transportation.”
For working parents or those with busy schedules, this feature allows them to see when their student has been picked-up and and dropped off. A major move for families this year.
"Last year I had many difficulties because the transportation was terrible," said Gonzalez. "The transportation was terrible. And this year, I know the school start three weeks ago, but it's totally different.”
Zum Services is a tech company that specializes in student transportation. With locations in 14 states across the US, Jim Mitchell location manager said their services go beyond transportation.
"It's just one piece of mind they have while they're at their jobs or at their careers to get that notification that the bus is arriving. Okay, let me hurry up and text my child. Hey, you have two minutes to get there. Boom, notification. The child made it safely on the bus," said Mitchell.
With safety being top of mind, the new technology also benefits drivers.
“The tablet actually will learn driver patterns. So as a driver takes a more efficient route, the routing on the tablet will actually change to that more efficient route," said Mitchell.
Zum Services is still in need of more drivers. They offer training to receive your Commercial Driver's License for free. You can find more information on their website.
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