The CEO of Zum Services sat down with 5 On Your Side to discuss how they plan to transform the system with fewer delays and better technology.
ST. LOUIS — Parents and students in St. Louis can expect a major transformation in their school transportation as a new company takes the wheel.
Zum Services, a California-based student transportation company, has signed a three-year contract with St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) to modernize the district’s bus system, promising improvements in efficiency, safety, and transparency.
Even though the new transportation company comes with a $30 million price tag, the district is hoping to actually save money. It paid $10 million more than that for 19 other vendors this school year to resolve the transportation fiasco so many parents saw when schools started last fall.
For over a year, SLPS families have faced persistent delays, unreliable service, and a driver shortage. Now, district leaders are banking on Zum’s high-tech, data-driven approach to turn things around.
“When Zum comes in, it’s like there is no going back because it’s such a transformational experience, and on top of it, when you combine the St. Louis team, which has such a passion and commitment. We feel very confident to be able to regain the trust of the community and provide the consistency that the city deserves here,” Ritu Narayan, Zum’s CEO and founder, said.
The company will take over operations for 220 bus routes across the city starting next fall, introducing features that could dramatically improve daily commutes for thousands of students.
“At every stop, when the kids are boarding the bus, they tap the card on the tablet, and instantly, their name appears, and the driver can greet them, ‘Oh, hi Jimmy, how are you?’ And that really creates that relationship and also informs everybody that the child has on-boarded the bus,” said Narayan.
Some of those features include air-conditioned and electric buses, a real-time mobile app for parents to track buses, receiving notifications when their child is picked up or dropped off, and even viewing their driver’s profile.
“If a parent cancels their ride, the route is automatically adjusted. The fact that the buses are reliable, the child knows when the bus is arriving; they’re not standing in the snow for half an hour wondering if the bus is coming or not. They get a notification two minutes before saying, ‘Hey, bus is around the corner.’ They can show up at the stop. It really makes a huge difference and when the children are happy, driver is happy,” Narayan said.
Narayan said her company’s mission to improve student transportation is personal for her.
“A decade ago, I was working at eBay in technology and seeing everything getting transformed around me, but when it came to my personal life, providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation for my children, my two little children, it was a really hard thing to find,” she said.
Zum will also offer improved pay and incentives to attract and retain drivers, starting at $28 an hour. They plan to hire almost 250 bus drivers and 55 attendants to cover its routes. The app comes with data analytics to optimize routes and minimize delays.
“The notification would come and I would look at the notification. I would know my child is picked up. I don’t have to worry about leaving work, or worrying about whether they were picked up or not. In the same way, making sure a child is dropped and the right handoff has happened as per the instructions. If the parent has asked us for any instruction and based on that, the handoff has happened, it gives you peace of mind that the child is in the right hand,” said Narayan.
Zum is providing services in 14 states. They’ve had a 98% on-time rate in their first year in Kansas City.
“Drivers are the one of the most essential pieces. We absolutely need 100% coverage on day one. Across the country, we have almost zero driver shortage in any of our districts,” the CEO said.
Superintendent Dr. Millicent Borishade said she’s hopeful about the improvements Zum will bring to families who have long dealt with unreliable transportation.
“We want our parents to understand that we get it. We get it, and it’s important for them to know where their children are. We want them to understand that we mean business,” she said.
Zum will be hosting three hiring events next week. Those events will be held on March 4-6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The company is still deciding on a location. Anyone interested in applying can click here.
The new school year begins on Aug. 18.
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