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Setting up Transport for the first time - Initial Configuration 🎬

The Transport Module is fully integrated with our other modules and enables you to capture student transport methods with dynamic updates depending on the student's diary. 

Transport Advanced Admin users can configure all the settings for your Transport module under Config Settings.  Click on Transport to view the settings. Before setting up make sure you have organisation block dates created for school holidays to prevent registers being created as it will generate registers 21 days in advance.

If you wish to create a new transport timetable or add new dates to an existing timetable, this should ideally be completed before the end of the previous term or at least a minimum of 2 weeks before the timetable starts.

Watch this video or read the guide below:

“Please note that we are in the process of updating all of our user videos so the latest user interface may not be reflected in the video."

 

 

Transport Methods

This is where the types of transport an organisation uses are created and stored (e.g. Bus, Parent Pick-Up/Drop-Off).

Methods are the first to be created when configuring Transport, and at any time the users can Edit or Add additional methods.

  1. Click Add to add a new transport method
  2. Type the generic name of the transport method
  3. Set the transport method to Active (can be disabled if no longer required)
  4. Choose whether the transport Supports Routes (this is used for buses and methods of transport where you need to track who gets off at a specific stop).
  5. Choose an Icon from the list
  6. Click Add

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Transport Operating Days

This is where to set the days on which transport operates for the school.

  1. Select the days that the methods of transport will run for your school.  In this example, the school week is from Monday - Friday, but there are also some transport provisions on Saturdays.
  2. Click Save Changes

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Transport Directions

These settings are used to define the names of the inbound and outbound directions.  You do not have to change them unless you would prefer them to be customised.

e.g. to change "Outbound" to "Home":

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Transport Timeslots 

These settings are used to define transport time slots, which represent times of the day and directions of travel. The register of attendance will be created from these timeslots. When setting these up we would recommend that you have: 

  • AM
  • PM
  • LATE (Which will capture those that are doing after school activities)
  • LATE CATCH-ALL (This will capture those students that may have gone to a different school for a sports fixture and will miss the 'LATE' bus. This will allow these students to be placed on a register)

These will be set as your primary time slot. 

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We have the ability to add in multiple timeslots in schools that may have students leaving at different times of the day. For example, the lower school finishes at 3:00 PM and the upper school finishes at 4:00 PM. The primary default for the lower school would be 3:00 PM and the secondary timeslot would be whereby the student may have attended an afterschool event during the primary timeslot. So the going home time of 4:00 PM after the event would be the secondary timeslot for the Lower school. 

This could also be used if each week you have a different finishing time for example on a Wednesday the school finishes at an earlier time of 2:00PM for upper years. This would be a primary slot for this day. 

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  1. Click Add
  2. Enter a Name and Direction for the Time slot e.g. AM, PM etc.
  3. Select Is Active (this can be deactivated later if no longer required)
  4.  Select Primary or Secondary Timeslot
  5. Use Display Order to order the time slots on your screen or leave as it is for a default order.
  6. Set the Earliest Departure time and Latest Arrival Time.
  7. Under Available to CCA Containers select one or multiple CCA container tabs where you would like to be able to gather information from parents booking or selecting activities.
  8. Click Create Time Slot

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Transport Stops

This is where you can add stops (with optional address), which will be included in the bus routes. You can Add new or Edit stops on this tab.

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Transport Change requests

This setting allows parents to request a change the student's transport method or route. This can be used if they are being picked up by a parent instead of getting the bus home or they are getting a different bus route as they're going to a friend's house, or to ask a Transport Administrator to make more permanent changes (for example, if they move house). 

The time limit defines how long before the transport departure time requests can be sent to school.

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Permission to Walk 

This setting gives parents the option to allow their children to walk from their transport stops. The permission will be visible on the registers. The parent is able to update yes/ no directly in SchoolsBuddy. 

  1. Transport features
  2. Show permission to walk

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Transport Routes & Timetables

Next, please read the articles about Transport Timetables 🎬 and Transport Routes and Timetable Configuration to proceed.

 

 

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