• New App Helps Parents
    Keep Track Of Buses

    Posted by Josh Flory on 10/15/2018
    A school bus is pictured in a file photo.
     

    Knox County parents who want to keep track of their child’s school bus have a new option this year.

    SafeStop is a free tracking app that allows parents to check the arrival status of buses at any time. The app allows parents to track multiple bus routes, and there is no limit on the number of accounts that can be linked to a particular student.

    Ryan Dillingham, operations manager for the KCS Transportation Department, said the district is looking to provide the transparency and real-time information that parents are seeking, while also safeguarding child safety.

    “Using tools like SafeStop we can thread that needle and give people a window into their child’s transportation that was not previously available to them, while still not giving too much information that we’re concerned that it might be a security risk,” he said.

    GPS technology will allow users to check the on-time status of buses that are picking up or dropping off students at any time.

    The system is linked to a student’s ID number, which is needed to sign up for the service. Once users have inputted that number they can add other family members or caregivers to the same account.

    For students that use multiple buses during the week -- if they sometimes ride to a grandparent’s house, for example -- SafeStop allows users to track multiple routes.

    The app is available for iPhone and Android users, and can be downloaded via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.