Zonar Launches School Bus Routing App, Awards Carnahan Grants

Fleet management technology supplier Zonar has launched Zonar Verify, a mobile app that provides daily routing and student rider information directly to the school bus driver.

The app is powered by RouteBoard, a web-based tool that integrates with routing solutions to enable dispatchers and route coordinators to manage and plan for buses being out of service and other day-of changes.

According to Zonar, Verify addresses challenges with students getting on the wrong bus or off at the wrong stop, provides data-driven insights for accurate bus utilization, streamlines student tracking for Medicaid and other reimbursements, and makes managing of day-of bus changes easier.

The Verify solution leverages data from RouteBoard and Z Pass, Zonar’s RFID card and student visibility solution. The data is then delivered in real time directly to the driver on a Zonar Connect tablet.

"Verify bolsters the capabilities of routing solutions and brings the ridership visibility capabilities of our Z Pass solution directly to the driver so that he or she knows if a student is getting on the correct bus and off at their assigned stop," said H. Kevin Mest, senior vice president and general manager of passenger services at Zonar.

RouteBoard, Verify’s online management portal, downloads daily routing information from routing systems and layers in the ability for dispatchers and route coordinators to change bus assignments for exceptions, such as if a bus breaks down or is needed elsewhere. The data is then routed to the Zonar Connect for driver use. The data can also be exported for analysis of stop times and actual-versus-planned route and rider events.

More information on Zonar Verify is available here.

In other news, Zonar and the National Association for Pupil Transportation announced the 2017 winners of the annual Don Carnahan Memorial Grant. The 33 recipients will receive safety, security, and efficiency technology hardware valued at up to $50,000. The list of 2017 winners and other details on the grant are available here.