Live Tracking System for Buses and Passengers at Union Elementary

Described as the good thing since 9/11, the new GPS that helps track the location and movement of school buses at Shallotte area's Union Elementary is now being put to use. The device helps monitor the school buses and help to track where the bus is going, and offer first hand information as regards the condition of the bus.

There are also the scan cards that will scan students at Union Elementary School before boarding buses so the school district will know if they're on the right bus. The scan cards provide an electronic head count which reveals the number of students being by the bus to be known because all the scan results comes up on a computer.

Another feature that parents will find very helpful is that there is a panic button the driver can press in case of a break down or an accident, this will alert the school's transportation department to dispatch emergency personnel or send mechanics depending on the situation.

Realizing the importance of this system, several schools have decided to adopt the it into their transportation system. According to the Brunswick County Schools' transportation director, Bobby Taylor, his school has set aside about $300,000 which will be spent on live track system. He further explained that they decided to devote that sum because the district wants to start small. On the reason why Union Elementary was picked as the pilot Taylor said because it has fewer school buses than other schools in the county and is already familiar with the card-scanning system, having students clock in at the library and cafeteria.

The school Principal also expressed optimism that the system will go a long way to help them in term of security. Mrs. Rhoda Bento said, "I think it will help with safety, being able to keep up with students."

The card system also received similar acceptance from all the schools, according to Taylor five of Union Elementary seven school buses already have the GPS and the card reader. The way this card works is that as students step on the bus, they wave the card toward the reader, which will scan from as far as 12 inches. As soon as the card is scanned, the signal is transmitted from the GPS unit and logged at the schools' transportation office.

Although, Taylor expressed concerns about students losing their bus cards this is already being taking care of by their staff, they working  together to profile a solution, such as keeping the card s on the buses.

The county school system is working on a plan to ensure that by Christmas all the 187 schools and activities buses will have the GPS installed in them.