For van drivers

The Driver app

Big buttons, one task per screen, nothing to get confused about. The Driver app keeps each ride simple and safe, and lets parents follow along live.

Signing in

Just like families, drivers sign in with a phone number.

Install the Driver app

Download the Bellmeir Driver app (it's separate from the parent app) and open it.

Enter your number & password

Type the phone number the school registered for you, then the password the school office gave you, and tap Sign in.

The Driver app is your only screen. There is no website for drivers to sign in to, and nothing you do on a run would work on a desk computer. The office follows your trips from the web portal at their end. See which app is whose.

Your home screen

Home greets you with your name, van number and a quick route summary (students and stops). The screen is intentionally sparse:

  • One giant Start route button
  • Two small buttons: View documents and Report issue

Starting a route

Tap "Start route"

Confirm the GPS / location permission when asked, this is what lets parents see the van live.

Keep the app running

A persistent notification ("Van route active, tracking on") confirms tracking is live. You can lock your phone; tracking continues in the background.

Keep location on. If GPS is switched off or the app is force-closed, parents stop seeing the van and may get a "GPS not updating" alert. Leave the app running for the whole trip.

Marking boarding

You do not have to keep coming back to this app while you drive. Once the route is running, Bellmeir keeps a notification on your phone showing the child you are collecting now, with two buttons on it.

  • Tap Boarded ✓ or Not here on the notification itself, from wherever you are, including inside Google Maps. Your app does not open and the map does not move.
  • When the van reaches a house, the notification comes forward with a sound so you do not miss it. If you are busy at that moment, the buttons stay there and you can answer at the next signal.
  • Brothers and sisters at one gate are one question: All boarded.
  • "Boarded" tells that child's family, with the time. "Not here" tells them the van reached their door and found nobody, which is the message a parent needs straight away.
  • Everything you tap is saved on your phone first, so a marking made in a no-network area is never lost. It sends itself the moment you have signal again.
  • Prefer the full screen? Open the app any time to see the whole run and correct an earlier child.
Before you finish. Ending a route shows you anyone you have not marked yet, so nobody is forgotten quietly. You can still end the run, the office simply sees who was left unrecorded.
Boarding is not classroom attendance. Marking a child boarded only affects transport, it never touches their school attendance record.

The map highlights your next stop. Tap Navigate to open turn-by-turn directions in your usual maps app, then return to Bellmeir to keep marking boarding.

Van documents

Keep your vehicle's paperwork in order, right from the app.

  • View PUC, insurance, fitness, licence and more, each with a valid-until date
  • Expiring documents are flagged so nothing lapses by surprise
  • Update a document by photographing it or attaching a PDF
  • Log maintenance with a date and notes

SOS & reporting issues

Safety first. During an active trip, an SOS button is always within reach. For non-emergencies, use Report issue to send the school a category, a note and an optional photo (for example, a breakdown or a road closure).

Handy tips

  • Start the route before you pull away, so parents see the van from the first stop
  • Keep your phone charged, tracking uses GPS for the whole trip
  • Mark each child as you go; it only takes a second and reassures parents instantly