The bus module includes two public-facing displays designed for students to see at the bus stop. They show the same data as the staff dashboard but in a read-only, high-contrast format suited to a large TV or a student’s phone.
The large-screen display
Designed for a TV mounted at the pickup point. Each bus appears as a large coloured tile with the bus identifier, status (Expected / Arrived / Called / Departed) and any Arrival text.
When a bus is Called, its tile changes colour and may animate — making it obvious to students at a glance that their bus is ready.
To set up the large-screen display:
- Connect a TV to a small computer (a Raspberry Pi, a stick PC, or an older laptop is plenty).
- Open a browser in kiosk mode.
- Navigate to your school’s bus arrivals large-screen URL:
https://<your-school>.portalhq.com.au/buses/large/. - The screen auto-updates as staff tap actions on the dashboard.
The large-screen URL doesn’t require login. Anyone on the school network can see it — that’s intentional, so students don’t need accounts to read it.
The responsive display
A mobile-friendly version of the same data. Useful when students need to check the bus status from their phone — e.g. waiting in the library before walking to the pickup point.
URL: https://<your-school>.portalhq.com.au/buses/responsive/.
Layout adapts to small screens. Each bus appears as a row rather than a tile, with the same status and arrival text.
Customising the display
There’s no per-screen configuration in PortalHQ — the layout is fixed. The two ways to influence what students see:
- Bus identifier — keep it short and recognisable. Bus 7 reads better than 7 - Mosman via Spit Bridge.
- Arrival text — temporary instructions per bus. Use this to communicate late buses, change of pickup point or replacement services. See Setting up buses and bus companies.
For brand colours or layout changes, talk to your portal admin — custom CSS may be possible.
Refresh rate
Both displays poll the server every few seconds. State changes from the staff dashboard appear within a few seconds on the large-screen and responsive views. No manual refresh is needed.
If the screen looks stale:
- Check the device’s internet connection.
- Refresh the browser tab.
- Power-cycle the device if it’s been running for weeks without a restart — kiosk-mode browsers occasionally need a fresh start.
What the displays don’t show
- Past departed buses — once a bus has departed, it falls off the public displays so students can focus on what’s still pending.
- Inactive buses — only buses scheduled for today and active appear.
- Staff actions or notes — the displays are public, so anything intended only for staff stays on the staff dashboard.
Setup tips
- Test in advance. Set up the large-screen display a week before you start using it operationally so any network or kiosk-mode issues are sorted out before pickup time.
- Pick a screen high enough that students can see it. Bus pickup areas often have crowds — a screen at head-height gets blocked.
- Keep the URL bookmarked on the device so a staff member can reload it without typing.
- Use a wired network connection for the screen if possible. Wi-Fi works but a wired connection is more reliable.