QRoutes has teamed up with transport management specialists Pax Systems to provide local authority transport planners with an online data management and routing system dedicated to their needs.
East Lothian Council is the first Scottish local authority to sign up and plans are in place to migrate over to the new system in the forthcoming months.
The council’s transport planning team will be supported by QRoutes and Pax Systems as they import data from Scotland’s education management system SEEMiS and its Click and Go transport module.
Phil Dyson, from Pax Systems, said the collaboration with QRoutes had created a unique and straightforward software package, enabling local authorities to deliver an efficient home-to-school transport service for schools and students.
Before setting up Pax Systems, Phil worked up to the Head of Integrated Transport at a county council and uses this knowledge to provide software that exactly matches local authority transport team needs.
“Councils are driven by customer needs, contract management and efficient use of budgets. For example, this integrated product can give local authorities a monthly forecast of spend and trends in client-demand. It’s easy to use and departments can get real control of route efficiency and a granular understanding of where spend is going,” he said.
“The days of councils being locked into a single software supplier are changing. Cloud technology and modern interfaces mean different solutions can talk to each other.”
Andrew Fish, Customer Success Manager, QRoutes
Andrew Fish, from QRoutes, said: “The days of councils being locked into a single software supplier are changing. Cloud technology and modern interfaces mean different solutions can talk to each other. This provides greater choice and flexibility for councils who are looking to update their business systems. East Lothian Council liked the routing software we provide, but they needed data management. The integration with Pax Systems is the ideal solution.”
East Lothian Council currently transports 1,266 pupils, on private contracts, as well as operating 56 routes and providing a supported public service network.
Bruce Moffat, Service Manager for Transport & Waste, said introducing a new system, along with delivering the service during the pandemic, had been a “unique challenge”.
He said: “East Lothian Council has chosen the QRoutes/Pax system as a replacement for the SEEMiS transport module, which has recently been removed from service.
“The new package brings an additional level of routing options along with administering our home to school transport provision. The Transport Services Team has been working closely with QRoutes and Pax to ensure the product meets the criteria of requirements.”
He added the system would primarily be used for mainstream home-to-school journeys with the intention of rolling it out to Additional Support Needs (ASN), the Scottish College Partnership and adult service provisions.
