Bus system goes high-tech for new school year
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In a few short days, school buses will be back to carrying students to and from school in Clark County. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- In a few short days, school buses will be back to carrying students to and from school in Clark County.
The Clark County School District is implementing changes to make it safer for kids to get to and from school, and that includes some high-tech improvements.
The district has more than 1300 buses. Starting Monday, they will be transporting about 105,000 students each day.
"The reason we can do what we do is technology," one school district transportation official said.
Several years ago, the transportation department adopted a system called Zonar, which helps with pre and post-trip safety checks. That system has now been augmented with GPS.
Now parents can find out whether a bus is running late, or missed a stop one day. And supervisors can check their mapping software to see if changes to routes need to be made.
"Well, we're carrying precious cargo," Transportation Operations Manager Jim Reynolds said.
Every new bus being purchased is also equipped with multiple surveillance cameras.
"I've seen those shots, the camera shots are very detailed," Reynolds said. "The drivers were apprehensive, but it's really there to protect the drivers."
If there is an accusation against a driver, or if students are involved in altercations, there will now be proof that administrators and parents can see.
"Parents can trust us that our drivers and employees are doing their jobs and doing it correctly," Reynolds said. "Rest assured that your children are getting to and from school safely."
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