CHARLESTON, S.C. — SchoolWheels Direct, a subsidiary of Student Transportation Inc., will host an open house on Aug. 15 to celebrate the start of the school year and the launch of its Direct to Parent transportation services here for select charter and private schools.

The event will take place at the SchoolWheels Direct headquarters at Daniel Island, South Carolina, and will feature technology demonstrations and opportunities to meet with the SchoolWheels Direct staff, parents using the service, and for students to meet other students on their route.

The event will feature demonstrations of SafeStop, the company's app, which is designed to allow parents to securely track the status of their child's bus along its route to and from school every day and receive up to date arrival time information via the app or web, company officials said.

Families with students enrolled at these schools will also be able to sign up for services on site if they have not already and will be able to learn more about routes and managing their account on the provider's website, www.schoolwheels.com.

SchoolWheels Direct is now operating new school buses that feature air conditioning, on-board GPS, camera systems for safety and security, Wi-Fi, and other technology-enhancing products and services, according to the company.

"This is a big day for Charleston-area parents and students and a big day for our company as well," said Robert Scholer, director of sales for SchoolWheels Direct. "After hundreds of calls and e-mails over the last few months, it has become clear that parents in the Greater Charleston community have been looking for safe, reliable transportation to school. We are excited to provide them with a level of service and quality of vehicle they have never seen before. Our Open House on Friday will be a great opportunity for those in the community to get a sneak peek at what we're offering."