Modern student transportation provider launches advanced communication tools to ensure safe trips to and from school


REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 21, 2024 - Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, is recognizing National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 21-25) with several initiatives and new features that emphasize its mission to provide safe, reliable rides to and from school.

Zum's 360-degree approach to safety ensures student safety and well-being is the top priority before, during and after every ride. Its first-of-its-kind safety tools include SafeGuard, Zum's vehicle safety technology and driver training/certification program; and a new, tech-enabled communication tool that sends important messages to drivers in real-time.

"No parent should have to worry about whether or not their child made it to and from school safely when riding the school bus each day," said Ritu Narayan, CEO and founder at Zum. "Zum's technology is built to provide transparency for parents and schools, making the bus ride safer, more reliable and more equitable. Through our groundbreaking technology and driver training programs, we are proud to be raising the bar and influencing new safety standards and conversations in the industry."

School bus safety is a pressing issue for parents: In Zum's 2024 Student Transportation Report Card, an annual commissioned survey that examines parents' views of the school bus system, the vast majority of respondents felt the school bus system in America could improve (84%). When asked to name their biggest concern about their child while riding the school bus, the majority of parents said safety.

Ways Zum is Keeping Children Safe on the School Bus:

Tech-enabled driver communication tools (NEW) - Traditionally, dispatchers have communicated with school bus drivers via radio. With Zum's new communication system, operations staff can send important information to individual or multiple drivers via Zum's advanced tech platform – whether it's about a road closure, early dismissal, student updates or anything else they need to know to ensure everyone's safety on the bus. Messages are never sent while drivers are in the middle of their routes and are received via the driver tablet.
Unlike radio communication, this tool enables all drivers to receive the same information simultaneously. The delivery of these messages is integrated into a driver's daily workflow via the driver tablet, and administrators can track when drivers received them. This feature is now being implemented in Zum's partner school districts nationwide.

Industry-leading safety technology for drivers and families - Zum's vehicle safety technology requires all drivers to adhere to specific safety protocols while picking up or dropping off students and while driving. This includes a pre-trip and post-trip Daily Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR). Drivers are also equipped with a GPS-enabled tablet that provides real-time route updates, personalized information on every student's needs and easy-to-use incident reporting capabilities.
For families, the Zum App allows parents to see a profile of their child's driver, along with real-time information about vehicle location and their child's pickup or dropoff status. These enhanced features are built to keep students safe from the moment they get on the bus until they are back home again.

Qualification and certification of skilled drivers - Zum's innovative driver training curriculum exceeds county and state requirements. During Zum's qualification process, drivers go through an extensive background check and a comprehensive driving test. Once verified with Zum, drivers participate in a multi-module training course, which Zum developed in partnership with industry-leading safety experts as well as its in-house team of state-certified trainers.
Zum has added specialized modules focused on behavioral science, response and de-escalation tactics and effective communication with parents and school districts. These courses are geared toward creating a safe and respectful environment on the school bus and better equip Zum drivers with a variety of skills and methods to provide personalized care, emergency response and increased transparency between the drivers, parents and school district staff.

Driver curriculum to ensure safer rides for students with disabilities - By partnering with SPED Safe, Zum offers specialized training programs to enhance safe environments for all students, especially individuals with disabilities. More than 7 million children across America have disabilities, and, for many, school transportation provides their only access to education. Through SPED Safe's decades-long work in the special education field, they have designed a curriculum that prepares Zum drivers to understand the unique nature, needs and characteristics of each student's disability.
Curriculum encompasses behavioral science, reinforcement strategies, an overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the importance of structure and routine, de-escalation tactics and effective communicating/reporting. This helps drivers to better understand how to provide more personalized care and ensure transparency, a critical component of Zum's model.

Additionally, Zum will recognize National School Bus Safety Week by holding events at Zum bus yards nationwide.

To learn more about how Zum is working with thousands of schools across the nation to modernize student transportation, please visit Zum's website.

About Zūm
Zum is a modern transportation solution transforming school transportation, the largest mass transit system in the U.S. Today, the company provides turnkey modern transportation solutions to school districts in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Utah, and Virginia, and is expanding rapidly nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative transportation and energy as a service platform, Zum has been featured among Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, CNBC Disruptor 50, CNBC Changemakers, World Economic Forum and Financial Times' Fastest Growing Companies. Learn more about Zum at www.ridezum.com.

CONTACT:
Jenny Mayfield, Vice President of Communications – press@ridezum.com

SOURCE Zūm