Zonar Systems made its name in the school bus and trucking industries for its vehicle inspection, GPS and telematics solutions. Now, add routing to the list.
Powered by ez enRoute, which it closed its acquisition of on Sept. 16, Zonar is expanding its technology portfolio by offering an all-in-one routing ecosystem. Bus Suite, which the company said is designed to improve safety, efficiency and communication, was demoed at the STN EXPO West Ride and Drive in July. It is currently available.
Terms of the deal were not made public.
Benefits of Bus Suite, according to a press release, include independent, adaptive routing, increased visibility into student ridership, cloud-based operational oversight, and integrated parent mobile application.
Amit Anand, founder of ez enRoute and now Zonar’s senior vice president of product, said school districts can use it as a standalone routing platform or integrate it with an existing routing provider.
“This flexibility means districts no longer need to rely solely on third-party routing and can modernize operations without costly overhaul,” he added.
For existing customers, Anand noted that Bus Suites combines with Zonar telematics devices, in-cab tablets, Z-pass student ridership data, and live bus route monitoring in one dashboard. It also integrates with student information systems to deliver student roster data into the Bus Suite platform, which Zonar said eases the onboarding process.
“Instead of juggling multiple systems, drivers, dispatchers and parents, [everyone] can stay connected through one platform with real-time visibility of every bus, student, and stop,” Annad continued.
For new customers, he said Bus Suite offers an “all-in-one solution that helps districts of all sizes seamlessly modernize operations with routing, ridership, parent communication, and fleet oversight. This results in simpler operations and greater confidence in daily performance.”
Related: Feeling Super About Transportation Technology?
Related: (STN Podcast E274) Can I Make a Difference? Tips From Top Transportation Team & Technology Super User
Related: First Student to Integrate Samsara AI Technology into Halo Platform
Charles Kriete, CEO of Zonar, also said in a statement that adding ez enRoute to the Zonar portfolio enables the company to deliver greater value to customers.
“We’re not just in the school bus business, we’re in the business of access to education, and we take this mission seriously,” he commented. “As districts nationwide face ongoing driver shortages, the launch of Zonar Bus Suite plays a vital role in modernizing operations, keeping families informed and ensuring safe, reliable student transportation.”
