School buses are supposed to be joyful and safe rides for children. Every day thousands of children in Bahrain travel on buses to schools and back. But unfortunately, in many cases, school buses in the country have turned into carriers of tragic news.
Batelco has launched a cutting edge IoT (Internet of Things) Connected Vehicle Solution to support the requirements of the education and transportation sectors. The solution is aimed at equipping vehicles, such as school busses, with cameras and sensors.
Batelco Bahrain CEO Muna Al Hashemi said that the Connected Vehicle solution was in big demand from school authorities who are very eager to ensure the safety of their students travelling to school by school bus.
“The solution allows staff at the school to monitor the busses with CCTV surveillance and video recording. Among the benefits is the ability to count the number of passengers boarding and alighting from the bus and a two-way communication system to enable speaking and listening. Furthermore, there is also a built in alarm system to alert the school to specific issues that may occur,” explained Al Hashemi.
Powered by a solar system, the buses have a 4g connector providing wi-fi on the go. Driven by a smart monitoring system that registers the number of students, the buses count the number of children in and out. The system notifies the school and parents of the missing children or of those children who are left behind.
The school and parents can also monitor the buses location via GPS And if the bus is delayed, the respective school is updated. This allows the parents to stay in touch with their school on changes in schedules. A camera and sound sensor detect signs of distress among the children. And temperature control systems on the buses, keep the children safe and protected, especially during hot summers.
From a brand that seeks to improve lives through innovation, this idea has set the blueprint for other telecommunication brands to create similar solutions across the Middle East and the world to ensure school buses remain joyful and safe places – and don’t become the last rides for more children.
