platform that performs as a one-stop shop for all required needs. Launi Schmutz-Harden, transportation administrator at Washington County School District in St. George, Utah, said any technology that can make the transportation of children easier and safer is “progressive in positive ways.” Te downside, however, as she said, is that it’s “always a challenge with new technology” to be fully integrated. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is already in the testing and eval-
uation phase with collision mitigation and other technologies for school bus applications, such as a lane departure warning and an intelligent park- ing brake. While the company wouldn’t go into specifics, Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs, said that while the school bus is among the safest forms of transportation, unfortunately “crash incidents do still occur.” “For some crash scenarios, driver assistance technologies may provide
a level of support to bus drivers to help them mitigate a particular situa- tion,” he added. “Bendix continues to work with our school bus OEMs and industry groups to build awareness of these technologies, their performance and value, for state and school district customers.” A wide range of other innovations has recently hit market, such as
sensor detection systems for the “Danger Zone” and 360-view cameras. But Schmutz-Harden said that the student transportation industry has struggled to keep up with the newest trends, more often than not lagging a few years behind to incorporate the latest technological advances. Tere have been huge strides, nonetheless. When Schmutz-Harden first started in the school bus industry 30 years ago, she said that drivers barely had two-way radios to help with routing, often navigating with directions written on pieces of paper. “Now drivers have access to routing systems that use (real-time) GPS to get them where they need to go, which also provide connectivity for me to see their up-to-date locations,” Schmutz-Harden said. One example that can be found in the student transportation industry
is the Zonar 2020 Android tablet that combines, among things, elec- tronic vehicle inspections, hours-of-service logs and driving performance feedback, as well as real-time GPS navigation and two-way messaging. Or the Zonar Connect, a next-generation, always-connected tab- let exhibited last month at the 2016 American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. Te device runs custom applications for all types of fleets, including commercial truck- ing, vocational and passenger transportation. Incorporating feedback from customers, industry research and best practices, the Zonar Connect can be customized with ZForms Messag- ing, which replaces paper forms with customizable electronic, automated forms; Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting to capture, transmit and record inspection data; and advanced navigation that provides drivers with GPS route information and an easy way to correct behaviors such as speeding and hard-braking. Yet, there is a “fine line between helpful and hindrance,” Schmutz-Harden said, adding that possessing the newest equipment can sometimes be a distraction for school bus drivers, especially during loading and unloading, which is considered “most dangerous time” during a trip. She said she would like to see the technology transition to voice-ac-
tivated routing systems that will verbally communicate directions to drivers. Without having to glance at a map, whether it’s electronic or physical, drivers can keep their attention on the road. “I’ve been pushing
46School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2016
INTEGRATING NEW SOLUTIONS
WRITTEN BY SEAN GALLAGHER
Technological convergence is on the minds on the student transporters across North America. The Las Vegas-based Kaptyn provides convergence safety technology for-hire vehicles. Now it’s attempting to pivot towards school buses. The company currently operates with more than 90 percent of for-hire fleets in Las Vegas, and is the only company approved for both of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission’s pilot programs. It wanted “to hit the ground running” when it decid- ed to bring its expertise to the school bus industry, according to Micah Boster, the company’s COO in New York, who added that there is “a big appeal for that one truly integrated system.” Kaptyn would provide school bus operators with a number of safety solutions, including in-vehicle modules that assist in drop offs and pick-ups, student behavior and a wide array of hands-free technology. It would also “bring a driver behavior module that currently doesn’t exist in the school bus market,” said Robert Pardon, division sales manager for Kaptyn. Kaptyn originally developed a nationally regulated universal platform and safety solution that works in all for-hire vehicles, offering customers driver behavior tracking, OBD and driver scoring, accident prevention, GPS and data security. The company has slowly been building its portfolio, reaching out to “pockets within regions,” Pardon said. So far, Kaptyn has started to work with school districts in Utah, Colorado and Southern California to bring its in- tegrated technology to its school buses. Boster said that the company has its sights set on offering its solutions to a nationwide market, but it sometimes “takes a while for industries to embrace new technology.”
CELEBRATING25YEARS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
