Parent Notifications

RouteBot sends notifications to keep you informed about your child's school bus journey. This guide explains the different types of notifications parents receive and what they mean.

Types of Notifications

Parents can receive several types of notifications:

Notification Type When It's Sent
Approach to Pickup When bus is approaching your stop for morning pickup
Arrived at School When bus arrives at school (morning)
Left School When bus leaves school (afternoon)
Approach to Drop-off When bus is approaching your stop for afternoon drop-off
Did Not Board When your child didn't board the bus

Morning Notifications

1. Bus Approaching for Pickup

What it means: The school bus is getting close to your pickup location.

When it's sent: When the bus enters your configured notification distance (e.g., 500m, 1km).

Why it's useful:

  • Gives you time to get your child ready
  • Ensures you don't miss the bus
  • You can walk to the stop at the right time

2. Bus Arrived at School

What it means: The school bus has reached the school.

When it's sent: When the driver marks arrival at school or the bus reaches the school location.

Why it's useful:

  • Confirms your child's safe arrival
  • Gives peace of mind
  • Helps you know the morning journey is complete

Note: This notification is only sent if your child boarded the bus. If they didn't board, you won't receive an arrival notification.

Afternoon Notifications

3. Bus Left School

What it means: The school bus is starting the afternoon drop-off route.

When it's sent: When the driver marks departure from school.

Why it's useful:

  • Lets you know your child is on the way home
  • Helps you estimate arrival time
  • Alerts you to prepare for pickup

Note: This notification is only sent if your child boarded the bus. If they didn't board, you won't receive this notification.

4. Bus Approaching for Drop-off

What it means: The school bus is getting close to your drop-off location.

When it's sent: When the bus enters your configured notification distance.

Why it's useful:

  • Time to be at the stop to receive your child
  • Ensures you don't keep the bus waiting
  • Know exactly when your child will arrive

Status Notifications

5. Did Not Board Notification

What it means: Your child did not board the school bus.

When it's sent: When the driver marks your child as "not boarded" during the route.

Why it's useful:

  • Alerts you that your child isn't on the bus
  • Allows you to verify their whereabouts
  • Important for safety and awareness

When this happens:

  • Your child wasn't at the stop
  • Your child is absent from school
  • Your child is using alternate transportation

Notification Delivery

Notifications are delivered as:

Method Description
Push Notification Appears on your phone even when app is closed
SMS Text message to your registered phone (if enabled)

Push Notifications

  • Appear on your lock screen
  • Show in your notification center
  • Can produce sound and vibration (based on your phone settings)

SMS Notifications

  • Sent to your registered phone number
  • Available even without internet connection
  • May have additional costs from your carrier

Configuring Notifications

You can enable or disable each notification type:

  1. Go to Settings tab
  2. Tap Notification Settings
  3. Select which child (if you have multiple)
  4. Toggle each notification type on or off
  5. Tap Save

See Notification Settings for detailed instructions.

Notification Distance

For approach notifications, you can set how far away the bus should be when you're notified:

  1. Go to Settings tab
  2. Tap Notification Distance Settings
  3. Select which child (if you have multiple)
  4. Choose your preferred distance
  5. Tap Save

See Notification Distance for detailed instructions.

Understanding Notification Indicators

When the driver sends notifications, the system tracks delivery:

Indicator Meaning
✓ (Checkmark) Notification was sent successfully
! (Exclamation) Notification wasn't sent (setting disabled)

If you've disabled a notification type, you won't receive it even when the event occurs.

For Multiple Children

If you have multiple children on school buses:

  • Each child can have different notification settings
  • Notifications identify which child they're about
  • Configure settings for each child separately

Configuring Per Child

  1. Go to Settings > Notification Settings
  2. You'll see a profile selection screen
  3. Tap on the child you want to configure
  4. Set their specific preferences
  5. Repeat for other children

Best Practices

Recommended Settings for Parents

For comprehensive monitoring, enable:

  • ✅ Bus approaching for pickup (morning)
  • ✅ Bus arrived at school (morning confirmation)
  • ✅ Bus left school (afternoon alert)
  • ✅ Bus approaching for drop-off (afternoon)
  • ✅ Did not board notifications (safety)

Setting the Right Distance

Choose a notification distance that gives you enough time:

Distance Good For
250m - 500m You're usually ready and close to the stop
750m - 1km You need a few minutes to get to the stop
1.5km - 2km You need more advance notice

Troubleshooting Notifications

Not receiving notifications

  1. Check notification permission is granted (Settings > Apps > RouteBot)
  2. Verify you haven't disabled the notification type
  3. Ensure "Do Not Disturb" isn't blocking alerts
  4. Check your internet connection
  5. Verify the route was active when expected

Receiving late notifications

  • GPS signal may have caused delay
  • Network congestion can slow delivery
  • Check if the bus actually passed earlier

Receiving unexpected notifications

  • May be a test by your transportation provider
  • Driver may have started route early
  • Contact your provider if notifications seem wrong

Next Steps:

Last updated: March 23, 2026