School buses don’t just offer convenience to students – they also offer safety, sustainability, and efficiency. According to NHTSA, students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of a car. However, ridership has seen a decline over the years.
So, what can school districts do to convince more students and parents to take the bus? This is a question that has no one clear answer, but a combination of different factors can have a positive influence on students and their parents.
Here we will look at some of the practical strategies that can increase student ridership on school buses.
Maintain Efficiency On The Road
Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of students who want to take the bus? While the challenge may be limited resources, more often than not, it can come down to insufficiencies in optimization.
- Designing the Shortest Route: A perfectly laid out route can ensure that students reach school and back home in the shortest possible time, while your buses have fewer runs. Using the school bus routing software is key here as it can lay out the perfect route to avoid any delays.
- Reduce Time On The Road: An efficient school bus GPS software can redirect buses to the shortest and least congested routes to save time and reduce emissions.
Increase Safety and Environmental Benefits
Students are likely to get to school more safely on school buses rather than in cars. This says a lot about how high the yellow bus transportation sector values safety. Additionally, fewer cars on the road are always a positive sign for the environment.
- Avoiding Danger Zones: A redistricting module for school buses can keep buses on track and ensure they don’t head into dangerous zones. BusPlanner accesses data from the sheriff's department regarding registered sex offenders, which allows for stop locations away from these danger zones.
- Activities Around Schools: Promotional activities around schools can educate parents and students about the benefits of riding the school bus. Some things to focus on are the environmental wins and the increased safety. Parents may also appreciate the fact that school buses can reduce traffic congestions
- Maintain A Healthy Fleet: Keeping your fleet healthy and on the road would increase student safety and reduce emissions. A school bus fleet management software can go a long way in making this easier.
Make Communication A Priority
There is no better way to keep families stress-free than keeping them in the loop. Real-time updates and clear communication can go a long way in helping build trust.
- Employ the Right Technology: The Chipmunk App can keep parents and students updated about school bus arrivals in real-time. It also offers two-way communication to relieve parents of added stress.
- Promote Feedback: Two-way communication also includes feedback, where parents and students should be encouraged to give their views about the school transportation service.
Expand Access to School Buses
Boundaries set by school districts for their yellow bus service can affect many students living just outside the cutoff zone. These students can face logistical barriers and have trouble planning their daily commute to school.
School districts can widen their cutoff zones depending on how many more students they can serve per extra mile. It can address the issue of those students who don’t ride the bus simply because they can’t. A robust student transportation platform can help with advanced boundary management tools!
The Bottom Line
School buses are underused, either because parents opt against them or students have limited access to school transportation services. Keeping students safe is the goal for any student transportation professional. To simplify the process, contact us! At BusPlanner, we are the only all-in-one student transportation platform that will take care of all your needs!
