This fall, the OCPS Transportation Services has launched the new Versatrans My Stop Mobile App. This app aims to increase efficiency among the ongoing school bus driver shortage.
Parents have the option to sign up for push notifications so that they can be automatically alerted of their children’s estimated arrival or departure times for their bus. This provides them with a real time view of their student’s current bus route and when their student boards or disembarks the bus. Parents are able to register their student to ride the bus by accessing their Skyward Parent Portal account and completing the school bus registration form.
Students will be receiving a new bus ridership ID card to scan on and off of all OCPS school buses. The district hopes that this will assure parents and guardians that their student is on the right bus, and the app is also accessible for student use. All student Bus Ridership ID cards are linked to the Tyler Drive route tablets which are installed on all OCPS school buses and used daily by all school bus operators. No more calls are needed to ask about which bus your student will be on or if the bus will be on time. Last year, the bus shortages had become a problem as students had to wait for their bus for extended periods of time after school.
Although the organization with the tablets is a much-needed improvement, there have been setbacks with this system. Unfortunately when scanning your ID through the tablet, it doesn’t always work. “When scanning my ID to get on my bus, the system would say ‘error,’” said Dillon Ramotar. Some students have expressed frustration with this new system, and the inconvenience of it. “The new system is unorganized and time consuming since it takes more time to get on the bus because of the ID scanners on the tablets,” said Dillon Ramotar. Many have advocated an option where students can manually type in their student ID number, such as a keypad.
Unfortunately, students and parents/guardians were not properly notified of the new criteria to ride the bus this school year. Students were unaware that they required IDs to ride the bus until a few days after school had started, causing transportation difficulties.
