Four schools in Udon Thani are preparing to join a smart bus project which will adopt mobile technology aimed at reducing deadly accidents.
Named the "Smile Kid School Bus", the system will allow parents and teachers to closely monitor children's trips to and from their schools via Android and iOS-based applications on smartphones.
Its features were presented on Saturday to Udon Thani governor Watthana Phutthichat who is keen to pilot the technology in a fresh effort to prevent casualties, especially those caused by careless mistakes.
The issue of students being "forgotten" and left in locked buses after they arrive at their destination was highlighted during a meeting between Mr Watthana and project initiator Siam Cement Group which is also sponsoring the million-baht-plus scheme.
According to the Department of Disease Control, nine students aged between three and seven years old died after being left in school buses between 2012 and 2018.
If the vehicles are parked outdoors in the heat, with their windows closed, children can lose consciousness within 30 minutes, the department found.
The Smile Kid School Bus is designed to prevent such tragedies from happening.
Parents and teachers can monitor students through security cameras and are able to check on the progress of the journey as well as the driver's behaviour via the app, the developer said.
The data will also be kept for further analysis in order to plan ways to prevent future accidents.
According to Mr Watthana, the four schools selected to join the project are Anuban Udonthani School, Thetsaban 1 Pho Si School, Chiang Pheng Phitthaya School and Santitham Witthaya School.
SCG will hold training sessions for parents and school bus drivers, to help them become familiar with the system, expected to launch in March.