Safety and reliability
Safety starts with making nothing up.
A school transportation tool has to be accurate before it can be reassuring. Here are the rules Buscolaire follows, and the limits it acknowledges.
Bus arrived at stop ≠ child boarded
GPS knows where the bus is. It doesn't know who got on. Buscolaire keeps those two facts separate, everywhere.
What GPS can suggest
- The bus is approaching the stop (detection zone)
- Arrival detected by GPS, unconfirmed
- The bus has left the stop
- These are candidates, reviewable by the driver or dispatch
What requires an authorized record
- “Boarding confirmed” or “Drop-off confirmed”
- Recorded through an authorized attendance process, or a provider feed
- Never inferred from the bus's position alone
- Without a record, no boarding badge is shown
GPS freshness, always on display
Every position carries the time it was received. Depending on its age, Buscolaire decides what it is allowed to show.
Live
≤ 30 s
The position can drive the map and the estimated arrival time.
Delayed location
30 s – 2 min
Still usable, but the position's age is highlighted.
Signal lost
> 2 min
The position no longer drives any estimate. The scheduled time is shown, clearly labelled as scheduled.
No live location
No position
The trip is presented from the schedule only, without a countdown.
Distracted driving
A driver console designed for the road
The console is designed to respect Québec's distracted-driving rules and operators' own policies.
Input only when stopped
Pre-trip inspection, incident or delay reports, relief requests: these actions are offered while the bus is stopped.
Passive display while moving
On the road, the console shows the next stop and directions in large, high-contrast type, with no pop-ups to dismiss.
No messaging behind the wheel
No keyboard, no chat, no admin forms while driving.
Emergency in one step
Calling dispatch for help stays available, with nothing to type.
Data minimization
As little information as possible, for as few people as possible
Each role sees what it needs, nothing more. Access rules are enforced in the database itself (row-level security), not just in the interface.
- Driver manifest: first name and last initial only
- No medical data in public routes or notices
- Vehicle positions, never tracking of people
- Raw GPS retention set with each partner
- Audit log of sensitive access and emergency actions
Emergencies
Software does not replace emergency protocols
Buscolaire helps people communicate and coordinate. It does not replace operators' and schools' emergency procedures, or emergency services.
In an emergency, call 911. Then follow your operator's and your school's instructions.
Next step
Questions about safety or privacy?
Our team can walk you through the data model, access rules and the PIA process before any pilot.