Trials are to be held by schools within one state college on an app which will inform parents that their children have boarded or left from their school bus.

The Education Ministry said the app is part of the process which has seen free transport provided to all school children.

The new system will feature a fob attached to the children's satchel which will be recorded by equipment on the school bus when the child boards or disembarks. The information will be uploaded to the app by the vehicle and the fob itself will not have any tracking facility, meaning that children cannot be tracked once they leave their bus.  

Further information will be available at www.schooltransport.edu.mt/faqs

A technical evaluation will be made in the next few weeks before the system is rolled out to all pupils.