State Putting GPS Tracking on School Buses

South Carolina may have the oldest school bus fleet in the nation, but it's about to install some of the newest technology on those buses.

[know it all]

How can the state buy extra equipment when on my daughter's first day back at school her bus broke down. Is the GPS so they can locate them when the break down?

[unconcerned]

How about take that money and buy some new buses. And get rid of all those 70's and 80's model hunk of junk off the road.

[mack]

I think the GPS would be a good tool, but why waste the money putting it on an old school bus. The GPS should be placed on all the new school buses within the school districts.

[Bus Driver]

Instead of using that money to put GPS on the buses they should be using it to put air on them. The buses are to hot not to have air on them with the tempertures being so high.

[Judgement Day]

Have they ever really used a GPS unit..??? Upgrades to city roads and streets are not always updated .. The units could have going of and on ramps when you don't need to.. Get spme new buses..Talk about safety then. More Bureaucratic crap to spend money foolishly..K-Mart has specials on all kinds of item, do we need to go get life jackets just because they are a "SPECIAL" deal??

[BUS MECHANIC]

columbia WARLOCK wrote:

why not air condition the buses first.

too costly,$3000.00 per bus to add on a/c, not gonna happen

[AKZ47]

Even the new buses don't have AC. The GPS units don't transmit the locations to a central computer in real time, they have to be downloaded physically. It's only a tracking GPS, it doesn't have a display where the drivers can see the roads.
My daughters bus broke down at least 4 times last year. But this year, she is riding in one of the new buses.

[Dog Pile]

Whats new to you is new to you. but not to us or the other kind of people. you are sure they going to put tag on the bus. I think so and this way they will be able to stop the crime while it is in process of blood and murder just like in the movies. right boys!!!!!!!!!!

[Dog Pile]

put a dog on the bus that will help.or a man in blue that will help.you know like Al the bunker man on I'm married now with Kids.

[mr mackey]

how bout some seatbelts?

[Angela Cooke]

wow. GPS TRACKING. IF I HAD A CHOICE. I WOULD PUT AIR CONDITIONING ON OUR CHILDS BUS INSTEAD. I'm more concerned about the heat conditions then anything. Also on the list is more assistants on our buses with children who has special needs. Gps is not even on the list. I thought school buses could only go but so fast anyway. I think this would be a waste of money.

[lakeisha]

gps tracking on school buses sounds good but what about a/c air conditioners

[Muzie]

columbia WARLOCK wrote:

<quoted text>
I guess ceiling fans would be out of the question then.

I know you didn't have air on the bus in your day. Why should they have it now? I say - let 'em sweat!

[Carroll]

Seat belts and airbags should come first. Or better, don't have kids! Then, one less problem to worry about.

[JourneyJerker]

GPS is a great idea! The problem is, a child on a bus is more likely to be run-over after exiting than being lost or missing while on it.

We are so caught-up in protecting our children, that they are discouraged from playing outdoors. Any amount of money to protect them seems like money well spent. Just don't ask us to be present when the kid gets dropped-off at home. THAT is the greatest danger: be there, at the bus door, when Johnny is dropped-off. Or, is the second income (or maybe Oprah, or whatever) more important...?

[military wife]

why spend 1.7 million on GPS when the buses that the equipment is being put on will be taken off the road in a year or so why not put security cameras on the new buses to catch the nonsense and violence being done on buses

[735stacey]

Why in Hades do buses need GPS? Did I miss something? It's not like they aren't conspicouos enough to be spotted.

[Wondering]

columbia WARLOCK wrote:

why not air condition the buses first.

AMEN!!!

[Xen]

Couldn't they cut big holes in the top for air ducts - of course when it rains they'd need plastic tarps or umbrellas- and winter they could stuff the holes with newspaper or old clothing.

[RCSD1 DRIVERS]

WE ARE AT-LARGE HERE WITH RICHLAND ONE AT THE LOWER RICHLAND TRANSPORTATION SITE. WE FILL THAT THE TRACKING DEVICES IS NOT NECESSARY AT THIS TIME. RIGHT NOW THE STATE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON PURCHASING NEW BUSES. MAYBE WE CAN SERVICE OUR SCHOOLS BETTER IF WE HAD LESS BREAK DOWNS. HERE AT LOWER RICHLAND TRANSPORTATION WE HAVE OVER TEN (10) BUSES TO BREAK DOWN MONDAY-FRIDAY. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. OUR STATE SUPERINTENDENT IS CONCENTRATING ON POLITICS, WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THAT... WE NEED BUSES….. TWENTY-ONE (21) BUSES. IF THAT WAS TO TAKE PLACE THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN 21 OLD BUSES OFF OF THE ROAD. SEE WHAT WE NEED IS BETTER GUIDANCE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS NOT LOOKING AT WHAT IS GOING ON...
1. START WITH APPROACHING THE DRIVER'S WHO'S ACTUALLY OUT IN A 100 DEGREE INDEX OR MORE ON A BUS, WHAT YOU SEE FOR A CHANGE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
ITS ALL ABOUT POLITICS.
QUESTIONS???
WHY WOULD YOU PUT A BRAND NEW TRACKING DEVICE SYSTEM ON A 1988 OR OLDER MODEL SCHOOL BUS?
WHEN THE MANUFACTURE INFORMED STATE OF THE MALFUNCTION TRANSMISSIONS THEY WAS PURCHASING FOR OUR 1995-1996 TRANSIT MODEL STYLE TRANSITS, HOW COME THEY WHERE STILL PURCHASED.
THERE’S MORE WE HAVE TO ASK AND WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS. I FEEL BETTER RELATING THIS INFORMATION TO THE NEWS CAST. THEY ARE MORE CONCERN ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, THAN THE PEOPLE WHO OVERSEE OPERATIONS ARE.