Zum Celebrates National School Bus Safety Week, Reinforcing Its Commitment to Student Safety

Zum honors drivers nationwide, expands safety training and highlights how its AI-powered CMX platform helps keep students safe.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zūm, a leader in student mobility, is recognizing National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 19-23) by announcing an update to its driver training curriculum designed to support the safety, well-being and individual needs of all students and recognizing drivers with outstanding safety records. 

"Safety is more than what happens while the bus is moving. It starts before a driver leaves the yard and continues through every pickup, ride and drop-off," said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. "School bus drivers are the heart of our operation and the 'everyday heroes' we depend on to deliver our children to school safely and set them up for a successful day of learning."

'Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes'

This week Zum is honoring drivers with celebrations at its bus yards nationwide and by acknowledging drivers who set the standard for safety. The theme of this year's events is "Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes."

Zum also announced an expansion of its SPED Safe driver training course that now requires all drivers to complete a training module devoted to "Supporting Students with Autism on the Bus." Developed with industry-leading safety experts as well as Zum's in-house team of state-certified trainers, SPED Safe equips drivers with evidence-based strategies to support the safety, well-being, and individual needs of all students, including students with disabilities.

Zum drivers receive comprehensive training that meets or exceeds county and state requirements, along with real-time feedback on their driving performance. Zum requires drivers to follow strict safety protocols, including completing a Daily Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) before and after each trip. Each driver also has a GPS-enabled tablet that provides real-time route updates, information about individual student needs and easy-to-use incident reporting tools.

Zum CMX: Prioritizing Student Safety

Zum also enables student safety through its AI-powered Connected Mobility Experience™ (CMX) platform. Zum CMX connects routing, dispatch, drivers, schools, families, safety and operations in real time, helping districts improve reliability, optimize resources and provide families with greater visibility.

Zum CMX enables transportation systems to move from uncertainty and disruption to coordinated, predictable execution — keeping student safety at the forefront.

• Real-time visibility: Zum CMX provides real-time, map-based ride tracking, AI-powered arrival time estimates, and rider verification for every trip. This shared visibility reduces uncertainty, ensures that all stakeholders have access to the same information and enables coordinated action across the system.
• Reliability driven by AI coordination: Zum CMX coordinates routing, dispatch, and execution based on real-time conditions. AI-powered systems are designed to continuously update routes, identify emerging issues such as road closures or traffic, and resolve disruptions before they cascade. Instead of reactive problem-solving, transportation teams can proactively manage their systems to improve reliability and reduce delays.
• Transparency for families: The Zum App allows parents to see real-time information about vehicle location and their child's pickup or dropoff status, along with a profile of their child's driver, to give them peace of mind every step of the way.

"At Zum, student safety is our highest priority, before, during and after every ride," said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. "We believe the school bus is the on-ramp to learning. By providing safe, reliable student mobility, we help students access education and start their school day on the right foot, while giving families greater transparency and peace of mind throughout their child's journey to and from school."

Today, Zum supports more than 7,500 schools across 19 states. To learn more about how Zum is leading the nation in redefining student mobility, visit www.ridezum.com.

Zum is redefining mass mobility with Zum CMX, which connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the student mobility market, Zum is addressing a daily source of anxiety and disruption by providing a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Learn more at www.ridezum.com. Today, more than 7,500 schools in 19 states have relied on the Zum CMX system.

Media Contact
Jenny Mayfield
VP, Communications, Zum
[email protected] 

SOURCE Zūm