Salalah, August 28 - A new startup and 100 per cent Omani IT solutions company has come up with a smart solution for school buses that offers real time information to both schools and parents about students boarding and leaving the bus.
The idea is the brainchild of Adnan al Shuaili and Issa al Shuaili, CEO and General Manager, respectively, of Muscat-based Tayyar company.
They began working on it after hearing about some accidents, including one in which a student was left behind in a bus, and of those who bore the brunt of negligent driving by school bus drivers.
“We have tried to make it a fool-proof system to ensure no student is left behind in a bus either on arrival or departure from school. Our system is called ‘Electronic Supervisor’,” said Adnan.
According to him, it is mandatory for the driver to go to the back seat, push the button to ensure all students have disembarked after arrival of the bus at school and after dropping them all home. The solution is equipped with multiple hardware and software support to connect with GPS and mobile applications for parents and schools.
Parents can track he bus, get instant notifications about boarding and disembarking of children. Every student has a smart ID, which facilitates his/her attendance as soon as he/she boards the bus and stops at the designated stop.
On safety features of the solution, Adnan said: “The system alerts about ignition and route deviation, etc. and we assess drivers every week based on records such as speed, punctuality.”
The solution, according to him, is cost-effective as well because one is needed at school and another for the server to monitor the service.
“It is an innovative electronic device with an intelligent system comprising several devices installed in the school bus in addition to two applications for mobile phones and a website that supervises and manages school buses,” said Adnan.
The device is equipped with systems such as automatic counting, visual verification, traffic monitoring, navigation and tracking. “It is the first device that combines all of these techniques together,” said Adnan.
Adnan said even a one-per cent mistake can cause accidents and this system has no human intervention. “It saves time, money and effort. It does not leave any scope for wrong attendance and students being dropped at a wrong stop. Even if it has to be done, the driver needs to inform the school and parents.”
It is an interactive system that allows parents to inform the driver if the child does not have to go to the school. “It would be incorporated in the system through virtual attendance system.”
At present, the company has 10 contracts with some private schools in Muscat. It is receiving many enquiries. The service providers plan to expand to the interiors of the Sultanate both in private and public schools.
Tayyar representatives showcased the solution at the Salalah Tourism Festival and bagged an order from a private school. They hope to get more as there is a demand for such a solution in all regions of the country.
Kaushalendra Singh
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