Going the Extra Mile: Enhancing Student Experience in School Transportation

When developing policies and choosing technology investments into your school bus fleet, are you taking the student experience into account?

It's easy to overlook the students when planning bus policies, but catering to them can bring real benefits. When the students are happy, or at least distracted, they are less likely to cause problems on the bus. In turn, if the students are well-behaved, they won't be distracting the driver - thus making the ride safer.

BusBoss has decades of experience helping schools modernize their transportation systems! Here are a few ideas for improving your students' bus ride experience.

Providing Wi-Fi Connections

Probably the most overall beneficial upgrade is to put Wi-Fi hotspots onto your buses, so that any student with a device can connect for free. This directly encourages the riders to keep themselves busy, and also provides more opportunity for them to do their homework or study during the ride. Plus, of course, students staring at their screens are unlikely to cause problems for the driver.

Wi-Fi hotspots and connections are affordable, so this is an investment that most districts can fit into their budget.

Install Seat Belts

Do seat belts actually improve bus safety in an accident? The research is surprisingly inconclusive - but they can have a big psychological benefit for both students and parents. Seat belts help people feel safer, and at least, belts are unlikely to increase danger.

In addition, belted students are less likely to get out of their seats and move around the bus. This, again, reduces driver distraction and so it indirectly increases safety.

Include a Second Adult Rider

If you have the resources to send a second adult along on bus rides, this can significantly improve the rider experience. If students have genuine problems or needs, there's an adult they can call on to assist. The second adult can help maintain order, even with unruly riders.

Also, some children simply crave attention, and it's far better if they're seeking attention from an adult who isn't busy driving the bus. 

Continue Maintaining Good Sanitation

The COVID epidemic led most districts to implement strict sanitation standards, cleaning and sterilizing their buses more often than before. Does your district still follow these policies? It's a good idea! Even if COVID is no longer as much of a threat, buses are still a major vector for infectious diseases in a school district.

Spending a little extra to maintain bus cleanliness will pay off with happier students, as well as reducing the spread of most common diseases like colds, flus, and so on. This could even help improve health among your staff.

In Short: Happy Student Riders Improve Safety

Balancing school bus policies and investments is tricky, but the student rider experience should be part of the equation. When the students are happy, or at least reasonably calm, the dangers of driver distraction are greatly reduced. 

Does your district do anything interesting to improve your students' ride experience? Please share your tips in the comments!