Tata Motors launches telematics solutions for school buses at SIAM expo

Tata Motors has launched the‘Tata Skoolman, a telematics-based tracking solution aimed at addressing concerns over safety of school children. The new solution will be a standard fitment on the Ultra range of school buses and will also be available for fitment in the aftermarket. 

The company also launched its ‘Ultra BS3 – Safe School Bus’, with the Skoolman at the ongoing SIAM Bus & Special Vehicle Show 2015 (BSVS).

Among Skoolman’s many features is the convenience it offers for parents to track the arrival and departure of their children in real time (through SMS alerts) and live tracking on a map or via a mobile phone application. The product, according to the company, also provides an effective fleet management tool for school bus fleets.

R Ramakrishnan, senior VP (Commercial Vehicles Business Unit), Tata Motors, said, “We are concerned about school safety and the launch of the Skoolman telematics system and the Ultra Safe School Bus represent a giant step towards ensuring safe transit for school children.”

The Skoolman triggers an automatic SMS alert to parents/guardians, on arrival of the bus, for just-in-time pick-up and drop. It also tracks school buses on a real-time basis by updating every 10 seconds. The solution also gives a school notifications on instances of unsafe driving through a SMS or e-mail alert.

The telematics solution helps bus fleet owners run more efficiently by planning routes and deployments between the school and pick-up points.

Tata Motors says its initiatives such as ‘Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai’ and ‘Dream It To Win It’  help familiarise, train and sensitise all stakeholders in various aspects of children’s safety during school transit.