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Novi transportation delays StopFinder rollout; tablets missing mounts will delay parent app access
Summary
District transportation staff said tablet mounts are on order and missing mounts — plus the need to reassign buses after two repairs — will mean some routes operate without the StopFinder tablet app for several weeks.
District transportation staff told the Novi board on Jan. 13 that most drivers have completed StopFinder (tablet) training but some buses are operating without the tablet mounts and therefore cannot run the StopFinder app.
"We will be transporting children without the tablets, which means we are going to be running routes without using the StopFinder app," a district staff member reporting on transportation said. Staff said 27 tablets were ordered earlier; those tablets came with 27 mounts, which matched the number of buses in service at that time. Two buses were later damaged in a parking‑lot collision and the district has been operating spare buses that do not have permanent mounts affixed.
The transportation director has ordered additional permanent mounts; staff said the parts have a lead time and installation requires the buses to be taken through inspection processes. The district estimated the mounts will take several weeks to arrive and be installed. The transportation report said the district expects to have StopFinder operational on all routes once the mounts are installed and geofencing and other vendor configuration steps are completed.
Administrators told the board they would continue outreach to parents and complete the geofencing work needed so the app can notify families when buses approach stops. There is an ongoing annual subscription cost associated with the StopFinder service, staff confirmed.
Ending: Transportation staff stressed drivers are trained and the delays are equipment and inspection related; they said the district will provide updates as mounts arrive and the vendor configuration is completed.
