TMS Drive is the app for driving colleagues at Transport Made Simple, the group behind Central Connect, Simonds and FlagFinders. It is a work app, not a public one. You need an account issued by your depot to use it. There is no sign up; if you do not work for the group, there is nothing in here for you.

WHAT IT DOES

Your duties See what you are down for, today and ahead. Each duty shows your sign on and sign off times, the routes you are working, your breaks, and the vehicle you have been allocated where one has been chosen. Split duties show both portions, so you can see the gap in the middle rather than working it out.

Clock on at the depot from your phone, from fifteen minutes before your sign on time. The app checks you are at the depot when you do it, using your phone's location at that moment. If something is wrong, it tells you what; too early, too far from the depot, or no duty found for today.

Request annual leave and see how much you have left. Report sickness, unpaid leave or other absence. Change your mind and cancel a request you have not taken yet. Requests go to your line manager, and you can see where each one has got to.

See the hours you have clocked, day by day and week by week, so you can check them yourself rather than waiting for a payslip to tell you.

ABOUT LOCATION

The app uses your location at two moments only: when you clock on, and when you clock off. That is to confirm you are at the depot. It does not track you during your duty, it does not follow you when the app is closed, and it does not record where the bus goes. Attempts that are refused are recorded too, along with where you were, so that if you tell your depot you did try to clock on there is something to show for it.

WHAT IT DOES NOT DO

No advertising. No analytics for advertising. Nothing is sold to anybody. It does not show another colleague's roster, their hours or their absence. It holds no bank details and no passenger information.

SIGNING IN

Your depot creates your account against your HR record, then you are emailed a link to choose a password. If your email address is not recognised, your depot has not added you yet. Speak to them, or to the SDC.

HELP

Something wrong with a duty or your hours is nearly always quickest with your depot or your manager, because they are the people who can change it. If the problem is with the app itself, the support page has how to reach us.