An IoT-Enabled School Transportation Safety Framework with Real-Time Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring

Abstract

Student safety during transportation has become a significant concern with the increasing number of school-going children relying on bus services. Earlier transportation systems primarily depended on manual attendance recording and verbal communication between drivers, school authorities, and parents. Although these traditional methods were widely adopted, they often suffered from delays, human errors, lack of real-time monitoring, and inadequate security mechanisms. The absence of an automated student tracking facility made it difficult to verify whether a student had safely boarded or exited the vehicle, thereby creating concerns regarding accountability and safety. To address these challenges, this study presents an intelligent school bus safety and monitoring framework that integrates RFID technology, GPS tracking, GSM communication, Wi-Fi connectivity, and cloud-based IoT services. Each student is assigned a unique RFID card that is scanned while entering or leaving the bus. The system automatically records attendance events, controls access through an automated gate mechanism, and detects unauthorized card usage through an alert system. GPS functionality provides real-time location information, while Wi-Fi communication enables attendance and location data to be uploaded to a cloud server for remote monitoring. Additionally, GSM-based notifications can be delivered to registered guardians regarding student travel activities. The proposed approach eliminates the limitations of manual monitoring by providing automated attendance management, location awareness, secure access control, and instant communication. The significance of the study lies in enhancing student safety, improving transportation transparency, reducing human intervention, and enabling real-time monitoring capabilities. The integrated framework offers a reliable and efficient solution for modern school transportation management while supporting safer and more accountable travel operations.