SEATTLE — Smart fleet technology supplier Zonar is introducing a new feature in its inspection reporting solution that will help ensure school bus sanitization.

The supplier’s Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR) solution has a new electronically verifiable configuration that can help school transportation staff members ensure that each step of the cleaning and disinfecting of each school bus in a fleet takes place before and after every trip, according to a news release from Zonar.

The sanitization configuration is an extension of EVIR, which is already widely used for verifying the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's mandated pre- and post-trip inspections have taken place, according to the supplier.

The new configuration for sanitization leverages EVIR, a verified, visual inspection system. With EVIR, drivers and cleaning crews can verify that key steps in the bus sanitization process have taken place by scanning an RFID or NFC tag at designated zones. Fleet managers can log in to the online portal to monitor completed, incomplete, or missing sanitization checks. They can also view the timestamped zones to see if any part of the cleaning was rushed or performed improperly.

"Parents know that children can get messy throughout the day but right now we are even more focused on ensuring cleanliness and good hygiene practices with our kids,” said H. Kevin Mest, senior vice president of passenger services at Zonar. “Our EVIR solution helps schools easily ensure and document the proper sanitization of school buses, adding an extra layer of protection to anyone who sets foot on the vehicle."

The EVIR configuration for sanitizing school buses can also help transportation directors and fleet managers:

•    Streamline their bus sanitization process for improved productivity while prioritizing cleanliness of operations.
•    Digitize the records of cleanings while eliminating a lengthy paper trail and make a major task easier to manage.
•    Increase productivity by identifying the exact areas and sanitization requirements of each zone.
•    Set and monitor expectations of how to sanitize areas and the duration of each task.

Additionally, Zonar is offering compliance and regulatory assistance and advice on COVID-19 via its COVID-19 resource page, as well as free webinars hosted by the company's Safety and Compliance team. This resource includes on-demand replays, Q & A sessions, and one-on-one advice for drivers, operators, transportation directors and managers, and businesses around compliance and regulations through an easy-to-use form.