HopSkipDrive Releases School Transportation Management Solution

Child ridesharing company HopSkipDrive has launched a new all-in-one school transportation management solution.

The new solution, called RideIQ, is designed to provide school transportation staff with tools to create and optimize individualized or small-group transportation plans for students, according to a news release from HopSkipDrive.

RideIQ offers permission-based access and visibility to all users on a student’s account. Whether through SMS, the mobile app or RideIQ, parents/caregivers, riders, and school transportation staff have the visibility and control they need, cutting down on layers of manual communication.

Using route optimization technology, RideIQ also seeks to identify the best rider and route combinations to minimize costs and maximize utilization, according to HopSkipDrive. This reportedly allows school districts to reserve school bus drivers for their busiest routes while still offering transportation to students through HopSkipDrive rides.

"We love that HopSkipDrive utilizes technology to communicate simultaneously with families and with Spokane Public Schools Transportation so that we know exactly where students are in the ride process at all times,” Salliejo Evers of Spokane (Wash.) Public Schools said in the news release. “With HopSkipDrive, student safety is a priority. The technology provides for accurate and timely communication, which we love."

In addition to RideIQ, HopSkipDrive is introducing CareDriver OnDemand, a new solution that helps schools meet urgent transportation needs by providing immediate access to the company’s CareDriver network. The company said school districts are finding it especially helpful with on-demand needs in cases of COVID exposure or if students need to go home sick.

Founded in 2014, HopSkipDrive has partnered with over 300 schools, school districts, and counties across 16 major markets.