School buses are supposed to be joyful and safe rides for children. Every day thousands of children in Bahrain travel on buses to schools and back. But unfortunately, in many cases, school buses in the country have turned into carriers of tragic news.

Batelco, Bahrain’s leading innovative telecommunications brand, wanted to take on responsibility to keep children safe, through its innovative technologies.

So, with Batelco, FP7, Bahrain introduced 'The Batelco Smart Buses' - making school buses a safer environment.

Powered by a solar system, the buses have a 4g connector providing wi-fi on the go. Driven by a smart monitoring system that registers the number of students, the buses count the number of children in and out. The system notifies the school and parents of the missing children or of those children who are left behind. 

The school and parents can also monitor the buses location via GPS And if the bus is delayed, the respective school is updated. This allows the parents to stay in touch with their school on changes in schedules. A camera and sound sensor detect signs of distress among the children. And temperature control systems on the buses, keep the children safe and protected, especially during hot summers.