SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

School Bus Tracking Apps Aim to Give Parents Peace of Mind

Tracking apps can be a useful tool for alerting families when there has been a bus delay or route change. These apps are also designed to help students have fewer tardy days and absences.

by Megan Satalich, Editorial Assistant
January 18, 2017
School Bus Tracking Apps Aim to Give Parents Peace of Mind

 

4 min to read


BusWhere
The BusWhere app, created by a company of the same name, shows parents and guardians where their child’s bus is, along with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for any stop along the route. After enough parents and guardians contact BusWhere, the company gets in touch with local schools to set up the app. Then, parents can track student’s bus locations and receive alerts when the bus is close to their stop. Transportation directors can also benefit from the app by viewing all buses on a single map as well as detailed route logs for any day.




Durham Bus Tracker
The Durham Bus Tracker (DBT), from Durham School Services, provides parents real-time communication with students’ buses. The app shows parents and guardians the location of their child’s bus in relation to their assigned bus stop. After verifying a student’s school ID number, Durham Bus Tracker allows parents to see all of their child’s buses and routes in one grouped view. Parents and guardians can also view their child’s assigned route and estimated arrival time.

Ad Loading...


Here Comes the Bus
Synovia Solutions’ Here Comes the Bus app gives parents alerts when the bus is near, has been substituted, and when their child boards and exits the bus. Customizable messaging allows districts to notify parents of delays or bus-related events. Synovia’s GPS tracking and software solutions can track vehicle location, improve safety measures, and increase fuel efficiency, according to the company. Here Comes the Bus has multiple tracking options, such as real-time bus locations or using barcodes that track a student’s location when entering and exiting the bus.



Infofinder
Infofinder from Transfinder is a mobile and desktop app that gives users access to the latest and most important information on their child’s bus. Administrators can also take real-time attendance, substitute vehicles, drivers, or bus aides on-demand, update ridership, and review and manage past, current, and future attendance records.



MyBusVue
MyBusVue from Zonar is a mobile and web application that communicates up-to-the-minute school bus locations to parents, caregivers, and school administrators via interactive maps. Additionally, when schools use MyBusVue with Zonar’s Z Pass (a radio frequency identification, or RFID, card that is scanned when getting on and off the bus), parents can check that their child arrived at their bus stop and at school on time.



SafeStop
Allowing parents the ability to see the real-time location of their child’s bus, the SafeStop app from SafeStop provides users with estimated arrival times. Parents or guardians can also receive notifications about that bus, such as accidents or heavy traffic. In addition, transportation professionals can use SafeStop Analytics to track performance by comparing planned routes versus actual data collected by the GPS units.




School Bus Hub
School Bus Hub from Seon is a secure online portal for parents to access real-time bus arrival updates and receive automatic alerts. Parents receive notifications via email when the bus nears the stop and again when it arrives. They can click to log in to the map view to track the current bus location and monitor progress along the scheduled route.

Ad Loading...








Skool Bus App
Skool Bus App, the company that created the app of the same name, works with schools and bus operators to load a child’s school bus route. Once added, parents can access the location of the bus at pickup and drop-off through the app. Parents can also see when the bus has left the school or if the bus is stuck in traffic.






Treker
The Treker app is designed by Treker to let parents know student locations to and from school using GPS. A radio frequency identification (RFID)/near-field communication scanner can also be used to check students getting on and off the bus, and the bus operator is notified if a child is still on the bus after the final stop. Drivers are provided with GPS route guides, and administrators with tracking capability for each bus in their fleet. Also included for operators is an emergency response button that they can push if there has been an accident or medical emergency.


UbicaBus
The UbicaBus app from UbicaBus provides users with real-time bus location and arrival estimates. The app allows administrators to send alerts to parents about recent transportation developments and official school messages. The app offers GPS tracking, route optimization, attendance tracking, fleet management, and timesheets for administrators.




Versatrans MyStop
Through a secure log-in, users of Versatrans MyStop, from Tyler Technologies, can see their bus’ location on a map and its estimated time of arrival at their stop. Parents can receive push notifications, alerting them to changes in the bus schedule and more, and can move between the bus location and the location of the student’s bus stop.

Versatrans MyStop can be accessed via web browser in addition to the app version.


WheresTheBus
TripSpark’s WheresTheBus parent app lets parents and guardians know when their child’s bus will arrive at their bus stop by using in-vehicle GPS trackers. This way, both administration and parents can monitor bus locations at all times. Updated every 15 seconds, the app displays the real-time minutes and miles the bus is located from the household’s bus stop. Any member of the bus-riding household can access their secured information from internet-connected devices such as tablets or smartphones.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Management

Graphic for School Bus Fleet's "Changing Lanes" July 2026 personnel roundup featuring headshots of six industry professionals: Jamie Smith (AMF Buns), Dan Strock (Pro-Vision), Kyndra Webb (HopSkipDrive Council), Jared Schnader (CALSTART), Alycia Gilde (CALSTART), and Micah Enterz (Kooner Fleet Management Solutions), displayed on an orange geometric background.
Managementby StaffJuly 31, 2026

Changing Lanes: AMF Bruns, Pro-Vision, CALSTART, HopSkipDrive, & Kooner

Check out who's been hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership positions at various school transportation industry suppliers and nonprofits.

Read More →
Promo graphic for the 18th National Congress on School Transportation, featuring a conference audience background and text reading “May 4–6, 2029, St. Louis, Missouri,” alongside the NCST logo.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsJuly 29, 2026

NCST Announces 18th Congress Event Dates, New Committees

The National Congress on School Transportation moves to St. Louis in May 2029, convening delegates and industry representatives to discuss new best practice recommendations. Now, the new committee chairs have been named.

Read More →
Two school buses parked in front of the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 28, 2026

Key Moments from the 2026 NSTA Annual Meeting in the Mile High City

From federal policy updates and OEM presentations to speed networking and industry awards, see photos and highlights from the contractor association’s summer conference in Denver.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A HopSkipDrive caregiver waits by an open car door in front of a house.
Managementby Elora HaynesJuly 27, 2026

HopSkipDrive Launches Spanish-Language App Update, Plans Additional Language Support

The update aims to improve communication with multilingual families by offering ride tracking, notifications, and support in Spanish, with more languages planned for the 2026-2027 school year.

Read More →
A yellow school bus is parked outside a school beneath a large oak tree with blooming white blossoms, framed by white buildings and a bright blue spring sky.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 27, 2026

Where the Yellow Bus Takes Us: School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year Winners

See the winning photos from School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year contest, featuring stunning school bus images from across the U.S., from scenic landscapes to everyday moments.

Read More →
Graphic for a School Bus Fleet article titled "Understanding Emotional Intelligence," featuring wooden letter blocks spelling "IEQ" and the subtitle, "Tips for transportation leaders to stay calm in any situation."
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 26, 2026

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in Student Transportation

Learn the five key elements that bus drivers and transportation directors can use to stay calm in any situation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Zonar Back to School Readiness Report for 2026
SponsoredJuly 23, 2026

2026 Back-To-School Readiness Report

Staffing gaps, flat budgets, and the distance between “mostly prepared” and ready for the 2026-2027 school year.

Read More →
Collage highlighting recipients of the 2026 National School Transportation Association awards at the Annual Meeting and Convention in Denver
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 23, 2026

National School Transportation Association Presents 2026 Award Winners

Twenty-one individuals and contractor companies were recognized for excellence in student transportation at NSTA's annual meeting and convention in Denver.

Read More →
A South Carolina Public Schools school bus lineup with text reading "How To Make Routing Data Persuasive."
Managementby Elora HaynesJuly 21, 2026

School Transportation Data Is Only as Powerful as the Story It Tells

Leaders say turning operational metrics into student-centered narratives can help districts justify investments and improve service.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Collage highlighting NYAPT's 50th anniversary conference, featuring awards presentations, NYAPT President Marc Medina speaking, packed educational sessions, and the event's "Back to the Future" theme celebrating 50 years of pupil transportation leadership.
Managementby StaffJuly 20, 2026

Photos: NYAPT Celebrates 50 Years at 2026 Conference & Trade Show

See highlights from NYAPT's 50th anniversary conference in Saratoga Springs, featuring educational sessions, awards, a trade show, networking, and more.

Read More →