NEW YORK – September 04, 2026 -- Logan Bus Company Inc., the largest private school bus provider for the New York City Department of Education, has launched an AI-powered phone system built on Cisco technology to give parents faster answers on bus location, delays and arrival times.
Logan Bus serves 20% of New York City schoolchildren riding its buses daily
The company transports roughly 30,000 general education students each day across the city. The new phone system links a student's specific bus route to the parent's caller ID, allowing families to get location updates without navigating a menu of phone prompts.
AI assistants pull data directly from Logan Bus's GPS tracking system
The system is designed to minimize wait times by giving the AI assistant direct access to real-time GPS tracking, while parents can reach a live agent with a single button press. The agent will already have the child's route information on file.
Phase two will add a direct API connection to Via's GPS data
Michael Tornabe, chief operating officer and owner of Logan Bus Company, said the next phase of the project will connect the AI phone system directly to Via via API, giving the assistant real-time access to Via's GPS data for more precise responses to delay-related queries. The rollout follows a pilot program conducted over the summer of 2026.
System operates alongside the citywide NYC School Bus App built with Via
The phone system works in tandem with the NYC School Bus App, a GPS tracking tool developed by the Department of Education in partnership with Via. Logan Bus is encouraging parents to use both tools, noting that all of its drivers remain connected to the tracking system at all times.
Route assignments remain under the control of the city's Department of Education, and Logan Bus said the technology is intended to help parents understand common causes of delay, including traffic, weather, accidents and road closures.