P.E.I.'s public schools looking to improve bus routes

The P.E.I. Public Schools Branch is shopping for new software to plan school bus routes, and a tender was issued on the first day of the school year.

John Cummings, director of corporate services with the Public Schools Branch, said this year was especially difficult because of the rezoning that took place.

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"This year was exceptional in that we had approximately 1,200 students change schools starting in September," he said.

"That meant a significant number of bus routes had to be altered during the spring and summer."

Increased efficiency

Cummings saidnew software could allow staff to test multiple routes before making a final decision on what the best course of action is.

"A lot of that work now is done but it's got some manual components to it," he said.

"If we get new software, one of the hopes would be that it allows you to do some different scenarios to try and ultimately find what the best route is and have the most efficient one for students."

Cummings said it is going to cost about $50,000 to upgrade the current software which is 15 years old.

He added that depending on the vendor chosen, it might be available in time for next year.

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