School bus pass tracking scheme

The bus passes are based on the Oystercard system used in London

A satellite tracking system which will enable parents to check that their children have boarded the school bus is to go live later.

Students at Brynhyfryd in Denbighshire will use the School Transport Automatic Register (Star) system for the first time in a year-long trial.

Schools in Anglesey, Conwy, Flintshire, Conwy and Gwynedd will also take part.

The system involves swipe cards and uses GPS technology in a wider bid to improve behaviour on school transport.

The scheme will run for one year and, if successful, could be rolled out across Wales as early as the latter half of 2010.

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School pupils describe the advantages and disadvatages of the new Zoom bus pass

Project's leader Peter Daniels, of Denbighshire's Passenger Transport, said: "It's very much like the scheme in London where an Oystercard-user boards a bus and taps in and then taps out when he or she gets off. Using GPS tracking, [parents] will know exactly where their pupils are on the bus.

"It will help support the schools, by ensuring that pupils actually get into school. They know they've been on the bus and can track them through the day and back home again," he said.

"And it also helps to support drivers too. If there are any issues on the bus then the drivers... will be able to pick a picture (from a small screen in front of him) of any pupil who he feels is perhaps misbehaving and send a report through very quickly both to the school and to the local authorities."

It's a fantastic piece of software and we are very excited to have the opportunity to trial it in north Wales Cllr Eryl Williams, Denbighshire Council

He explained that the passes would enable parents to get instant information about bus delays which would help them organise their own working day.

"Take adverse winter weather in north Wales and imagine how difficult it is to get children to school and back - parents can check transport times, delays and even cancellations at any time of day," he added.

Mr Daniels said he believed the scheme, which is headed up by Denbighshire County Council, was the first of its kind in Britain.

Clocking on

Zoom's key objective is to create a level of understanding for year 7, 8 and 9 pupils so that they recognise the good behaviour expected from them when using school transport, the council explained.

It is part of the Zoom project, supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, which is designed to curb the growing problem of anti-social behaviour on journeys to school.

Elements of the scheme include the clocking on and off, covert bus monitors aged 14 and above called Bus Angels, and training aimed at helping bus drivers cope with anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Eryl Williams, Denbighshire's cabinet lead member for environment, said: "It's a fantastic piece of software and we are very excited to have the opportunity to trial it in north Wales."