Vanu Guardian App Guide
Learn how to use the Vanu web app to track your child's school bus, manage addresses, receive notifications, and handle trip changes.
Quick Navigation
In order to access most features of the web app, you need to be subscribed to a driver. This connection allows you to view trips, track the bus, and receive notifications.
Receiving an Invitation
Your child's driver will send you an invitation, either via email or through a shared link. This is how you connect your account to the driver's trips.
How to Accept an Invitation
- Open the invitation link you received from the driver (via email, WhatsApp, or other messaging app)
- Sign in to your account or create a new one if you haven't already
- Accept the invitation to connect with the driver
Important: Once connected, you'll be able to see any trips the driver adds you to, track the bus in real time, and manage exceptions.
Addresses are a key part of how Vanu works. They tell the driver where to pick up and drop off your child, and are used to build the trip route.
Why Are Addresses Needed?
Your address is used by the driver to know where to stop for your child. When the driver creates a trip and adds you as a stop, your registered address is automatically used as the pickup or dropoff location.
How Addresses Are Used
You can register separate addresses for pickup and dropoff trips. This is useful if, for example, your child is picked up at home in the morning but dropped off at a different location in the afternoon.
Pickup Address
Used when the driver creates a pickup trip. This is typically your home address where the driver collects your child.
Dropoff Address
Used when the driver creates a dropoff trip. If you leave this blank, your pickup address will be used for both types of trips.
When to Set a Different Dropoff Address
If your child needs to be dropped off at a different location than where they're picked up (for example, a grandparent's house, an after-school activity, or a different family member's home), you should set a separate dropoff address in your profile.
Tip: You can update your addresses at any time from your profile settings. The changes will be reflected in future trips.
The Kids feature allows you to add your children's information to your profile. This helps the driver identify each child and provides additional flexibility for managing addresses.
Optional Feature: Adding kids is not required to use the app. However, it provides benefits for both you and the driver.
Benefits of Adding Kids
- Helps the driver identify your children, especially when transporting many students
- You can assign a different address to each child if needed
- Provides a more personalized experience for managing your family's transportation
Individual Kid Addresses
If for some reason one of your children needs to be picked up or dropped off at a different address than the others, you can set an individual address for each kid. This overrides your default address for that specific child.
By enabling push notifications, you can stay informed about your child's trip in real time without having to keep the app open.
Types of Notifications
Driver Nearby
Receive a notification when the driver is approaching your stop. You can configure at what distance this notification triggers, so you have time to get your child ready.
Trip Started
Get notified when the driver starts a trip that your child is part of, so you know the bus is on its way.
Trip Changes
Be alerted when changes are made to a trip you're part of, such as schedule modifications or cancellations.
Configuring Notifications
You have full control over which notifications you receive. From the notification settings, you can:
- Choose which types of notifications you want to receive
- Configure the distance at which the 'Driver Nearby' notification triggers
Tip: Make sure to allow notifications when prompted by your browser. You can manage this at any time from your device's browser settings.
View all the trips you're part of from the dashboard or the calendar. This gives you a clear picture of your child's transportation schedule.
Dashboard (Home Screen)
The dashboard shows your upcoming trips for today at a glance. Each trip card displays the trip name, scheduled time, and type (pickup or dropoff). Simply tap on a trip card to view its full details.
Calendar View
The calendar provides a broader view of your trips across different days. Navigate to any date to see which trips are scheduled. Tap on a trip to see its details.
Trip Details
By clicking on any trip card, you can see the complete details of that trip, including the scheduled time, the stops, and any exceptions that may apply for that day.
When a trip you're part of is currently in progress, you can track the driver's location in real time on a map.
Dashboard Tracking
When an active trip is in progress, a live map will appear on your dashboard showing the driver's current location. This gives you an at-a-glance view of where the bus is without needing to open the trip.
Trip Detail Tracking
By selecting the active trip's card, you'll see a detailed map with the driver's live location. This view provides more detail about the route and the driver's progress.
Note: Live tracking is only available while the driver has an active trip in progress. Once the trip is finished, the map will no longer display.
Exceptions allow you to notify the driver of changes to your regular trip schedule. Whether your child won't be riding on a specific day or needs to be picked up or dropped off at a different address, exceptions make it easy to communicate these changes.
Types of Exceptions
Cancel Trip (Absence)
Notify the driver that your child won't be riding on a specific day or date range. Useful for sick days, vacations, or any other absence.
Change Address
Request that the driver picks up or drops off your child at a different address on a specific day or date range.
How to Create an Exception
- Open a trip's details by tapping on a trip card from the dashboard or the trips page
- At the bottom of the trip details, under 'Quick Actions', you'll find two options: one to cancel the trip and another to change the address
- Select the action you need and specify the date this applies to
- If needed, you can specify a date range and select the specific days of the week on which the exception is relevant
Date Configuration
You can set an exception for a single date or for a range of dates. When using a date range, you can also select which days of the week the exception applies to, giving you precise control over the schedule.
Automatic Driver Notification: When you create an exception, the driver is automatically notified and the trip route is adjusted accordingly. There's no need to contact the driver separately.