Israeli on-demand public mobility company Via has been chosen by the New York City Department of Education to provide a revolutionary school bus management system for the largest school district in the US. The deal is worth $36 million over five years.
"Via for Schools" will be the world's first integrated, automated school bus routing, tracking, and communication platform. Parents and students will be able to track their bus's whereabouts in real time and receive frequent and reliable communications in the event of service changes, improving safety and bringing important peace of mind to all users. By utilizing Via's algorithms to optimize school bus routing, the New York Department of Education will be able to enhance operational efficiency and cut transport costs.
Via cofounder and CEO Daniel Ramot said, "We are delighted to be partnering with the New York City Department of Education to set a new standard of excellence in school transportation. Via was founded in New York, where we are proud to operate the city's most efficient on-demand shared ride service."
"Through our partnership with Via, we'll soon have a state-of-the-art app for families to track buses and get real-time automatic updates," said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. "We are grateful for the City Council's advocacy, leadership and partnership. Safe and reliable transportation is critical for all families, and we're committed to getting it right this year."
As the largest US school district, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) transports 150,000 students on 9,000 bus routes each day to get students safely to and from school. The system will utilize a flexible algorithm, which allows for both stop-to-school and home-to-school pickups, accommodating students regardless of their learning style, mobility constraints, or place of residence.
Via's technology is already in use in over 50 markets worldwide, by such leading public sector transport providers as Los Angeles Metro, Transport for London, and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).
For Via for Schools, the company's intelligent routing system will optimize school buses' daily, fixed routes to be as efficient as possible, while also providing the flexibility to respond dynamically to realities on the ground such as street closures and traffic. The system is expected to significantly improve operational efficiency and aims to ultimately reduce transportation costs for the NYC DOE. Parents and students will benefit from improved visibility and communications regarding system status and unexpected changes, including real-time bus locations, student boardings and alightings, route changes, and vehicle delays.
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