What time will my bus be here? Rock Hill schools app answers that question.
On cold or rainy days, parents often can be found sitting in their car waiting for their child’s school bus to arrive. A new Rock Hill school district app is designed to make that easier.
The district this month is launching the Versatrans (Vst) My Stop school bus tracking app that lets parents and students receive up-to-the-minute estimates of when the bus will arrive or what time students will be dropped off, said Mychal Frost, district spokesman.
The app shows the bus route and updated real-time bus moves. The app also provides notifications about delays, breakdowns or other information related to the bus route.
“Students have been accustomed for decades to wait outside at the approximate time that they think the bus is going to make it with no real information or knowledge of traffic conditions that may delay it,” Frost said.
Parents of children in kindergarten through second grade are required to have a guardian at the bus stop for their child to be released from the bus after school, Frost said. The app allows them to have a better idea of when someone needs to be at the stop.
The app does not monitor whether a student is on the bus, Frost said.
The app is free to download and works on Apple or Android smartphones, tablets or computers.
Parents can log into the app using their phone number registered with the district, Frost said. Parents of new students or students who later opt to ride the bus must notify the district’s transportation department of the change to be registered on the app.
Frost said the app will alleviate phone calls the district’s transportation department receives daily regarding buses running late or other incidents.
The Rock Hill school district monitors 110 buses that cover more than 600 routes, spanning more than 10,189 miles a day. The district has about 8,500 students who ride the bus.
“This tool we’re putting in the hands of all of our students and parents will not only reduce that call volume, but it provides a more precise answer to their question than what we would have sitting behind a computer at the transportation office,” Frost said.
For questions, email bushelp@rhmail.org or call the transportation department at 803-980-2022.
