Transportant’s newest partnership gets KC startup’s smart dashboard onto more school buses

Buses equipped with advanced technology from Transportant are expected to enhance safety for students and drivers — as well as peace of mind for parents and school administrators — thanks to a new multistate partnership.

RWC Group, a commercial truck and bus dealership that serves five states, on Wednesday announced a new collaboration with Lenexa-based Transportant to provide smart buses to schools.

Integrated into a school’s existing transportation management system, the Transportant system shows where every school bus is, who is on the bus, and what’s happening. Its solution includes the first and only live camera and audio system for incident alerts and proactive resolution of problems on the bus; they interface with dashboards and apps used by school administrators.

“I’ve seen the advent and innovation of bus technology with the rise in student safety incidents over the years,” said Robert Cunningham, president of RWC Group, who has been in the transportation business since 1975. “This technology is by far the most advanced system for unequipped buses and those with older legacy camera systems that require physical removal of a hard drive or SD card from the bus, and up to three hours to get just 15 seconds of video, which is frustrating for schools. It is important that all aspects of a solution always work well, to provide consistent connection and confidence that students are safely where they need to be.”

Transportant systems are now used in more than 2,000 school buses across 14 states and 78 schools. RWC Group sells buses to schools and can install the Transportant system into new or existing buses used by its current customers.

RWC Group — which operates across locations in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska — will service the equipment and Transportant will provide training and customer support to schools.

Martin Staples, Transportant

With Transportant’s technology, drivers are equipped with a student check-in-and-out system and turn-by-turn directions, replacing paper rider lists and maps. An app gives parents peace of mind, knowing that their child is getting on and off the bus at the correct stops and when the bus will arrive.

“A great learning environment begins and ends with a safe, efficient ride to and from school,” said Martin Staples, CEO of Transportant, which already serves schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. “We look forward to integrating the latest tools and technology into buses from RWC Group so that schools can better serve the students they are responsible for every day.”

“There should never be a gap in the safeguarding of our children. Nothing can be done after an incident has already happened,” he added. “Our phones are smarter than ever; shouldn’t our school buses be too?”