Road XS

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What’s New

What has changed, and when

Every release we have made since September 2016, on both the platform you run today and the new Vanguard version. Updates are applied for you, so there is nothing to download.

Latest release — — — Read the log

The Cloud Refresh Programme

Updates you do not have to manage

Road XS is improved through our Cloud Refresh Programme. Updates are delivered securely through the cloud and applied for you, on every plan.

Performance work and security updates reach every operator as part of your subscription. Larger features sometimes arrive in stages, or suit particular services, so not everything lands for everyone on the same day.

When a release goes live we write it up here: what is new, what has improved and anything worth knowing about. We have kept this log since our first update.

How updates reach you

Applied automaticallyNothing to download or install, and no upgrade to schedule.
No downtimeReleases go out while you are working.
Continuously improvedSecurity and performance updates come as standard. Some features roll out in stages or suit particular services.

Checking on service health?
See uptime & status →

Release log

Newest first · updated every release

Vanguard and the current platform are both live, so version numbers run in parallel. Each release below is labelled with the platform it belongs to. When everyone has moved across, the labels come off.

2026.35

Vanguard

28 August 2026

Vulnerability flags everywhere, and a first live test day

Vulnerability flags now follow the passenger through reporting, the action board and the driver app.

  • Vulnerability flags in reporting
    The journey analysis report now shows vulnerability flags for pickup and drop-off addresses.
  • Vulnerability flags on the action board
    Shown against each address.
  • Vulnerability flags in the driver app
    Shown in red next to the passenger’s name, so they cannot be mistaken for the pickup tick.
  • Actual start and end times
    The report now uses the real first pickup and last drop-off where they are available.
  • Partly confirmed groups
    A cancelled passenger no longer stops a pickup showing as confirmed, and a group can now show as partly confirmed.
  • Simpler booking
    Passenger address fields are now optional on the booking form, and shorter addresses are handled properly.
  • Report times
    Changes to pickup and drop-off times now appear on the report.
  • Deleting records
    Drivers, vehicles, passengers and journeys are no longer blocked from deletion by old journey history or queued text messages.
  • Route Unavailable message
    Traced to changed assignment settings, with settings brought back into line across every environment.
  • Third-party API connection
    Resolved a connection issue from the live server.
  • Date picker
    Now opens to the left so it stays on screen.

2026.34

Vanguard

21 August 2026

Fees, concessions and payment sources

One of the most detailed parts of the current platform moves across to the new admin portal.

  • Payment sources and concessions
    Set up payment sources, concessions and their conditions in the new admin portal.
  • Fee bands and journey schemes
    Admin and advanced fee bands, journey schemes, fee basis and rate types, all in one place.
  • Batch optimisation
    Merged and ready for its first review.
  • Address lookups
    Now run on the new platform.
  • Passenger lookups
    Looking up a passenger by reference is limited to the areas an admin is allowed to see.
  • Automated testing
    New test coverage across the fee and payment work.

2026.33

Vanguard

14 August 2026

Admin sign-in, settings lists and archiving

  • Two-step verification for admins
    With a My Account page to set it up, and password reset by email.
  • Keep me signed in
    Sessions are held more securely and time out after a period of inactivity.
  • One screen for settings lists
    Age groups and concession cards, journey types, postcodes and blocked IP addresses.
  • Archive, reactivate or delete
    For drivers, passengers, vehicles and journeys, with a clear reason given when a delete is blocked.
  • Batch optimisation screen
    Choose an area and optimise its journeys, with a readable report of the result.
  • More editing in the new portal
    Journey source, appointment details, further details, lock state and waypoints can all be edited.
  • Audit log
    Waypoint removals are now recorded properly.

2026.32

Vanguard

7 August 2026

Optimising a whole area at once

  • Batch journey optimisation
    Planners will be able to optimise a whole area’s journeys in one go rather than one at a time. Work under way, running in the background so nobody is kept waiting.
  • Day progress on the Dispatch Board
    Recently completed journeys and how the day is going, at a glance.
  • Live bus routes
    A preview showing live bus routes on the Dispatch Board, drawn from published timetables (used to test how the live dispatch tracking board would operate under live conditions).
  • Driver app maps
    Leg times and distances now sit behind a toggle, with a button to reset the map view.
  • Location pin
    Only pulses while the driver’s location is actually being sent.
  • Damage reports
    The photo button works again.

2026.31

Vanguard

31 July 2026

Managing records, and a full security review

  • Drivers, vehicles and passengers
    Added and edited in the new admin portal, with reference numbers and map lookups handled automatically.
  • Security
    Security updates and improvements.
  • Settings
    Rebuilt using the new screen components.
  • Sign-in sessions
    Older sessions now carry over correctly.
  • Page warnings
    Minor warnings no longer interrupt pages on the live site.

2026.30

Vanguard

24 July 2026

Drivers in the new admin portal, and guided booking

  • Drivers section
    Added to the new admin portal, view only for now.
  • Step by step booking
    Journey creation is now a guided flow, with a standard date and time picker that is quicker and less error prone.
  • Driver portal settings
    A tab of its own, with service areas that can be switched on or off for passengers and journeys.
  • Dispatch Board view
    Opens with every journey in view, with a button to return to it.
  • Live journeys
    Ordered by which one finishes soonest.
  • Journey cards
    Redesigned.
  • Zero miles
    Journeys no longer show zero miles when a passenger has no saved address.
  • Cancellation reasons and notes
    Reasons show again, and notes show who wrote them.
  • Departure board
    Cancelled journeys no longer appear.
  • Third-party imports
    Dependents now come through, and flexible legs and return journeys behave correctly.

2026.29

Vanguard

17 July 2026

A redesigned Dispatch Board, and smarter routing

  • Stop and cancel from the Dispatch Board
    Admins can stop a journey and cancel passengers directly.
  • Automatic stop and complete
    New settings to stop and complete journeys automatically.
  • Choice of routing
    Switch between routing providers and choose the shortest or quickest route, for more accurate mileage.
  • Dispatch Board redesign
    A near full-screen map, Live, Assigned and Unassigned tabs, and colour coding to show how recent each driver’s location is.
  • Fewer routing calls
    Duplicate calls removed, cutting routing costs by around three quarters.
  • Driver app
    A clear marker once a pickup or drop-off is done, tappable phone numbers, and support officer names shown against each stop.
  • Booking times
    Journeys created from the older booking form now save the right times.
  • Flexible times
    Journeys booked with a flexible time now behave correctly.
  • Departure board
    Journeys show again.
  • Routing
    Retries automatically if the routing service fails.

2026.28

Vanguard

10 July 2026

Push notifications, and journey creation rebuilt

  • Push notifications on Android
    Including notifications that appear while the app is already open.
  • Journey creation rebuilt
    A new screen, with leg handling, passenger and address matching and validation rebuilt from the ground up.
  • Notification links
    Notifications now open the right screen.

2026.27

Vanguard

3 July 2026

The first Dispatch Board

  • Dispatch Board
    Journeys on a map, with a side panel for allocating drivers and adding notes, plus lists for journeys in progress and those not yet assigned.
  • Notes in the admin portal
    Journey and admin notes can be read and added, with a count shown against each passenger.
  • Other journeys
    See a passenger’s related trips from the journey they are on.
  • Distance to the next stop
    Journey cards and the map in the driver app show distance and time to the next pickup or drop-off.
  • Building for each site
    Each site’s settings now live in one place, with its own app icon.
  • Map link
    Opening the map from journey details works again.
  • App icon
    No longer comes out too small.

2026.26.1

Vanguard

26 June 2026

Vehicle checks, and journeys started on the day

  • Start on the day
    A new setting so journeys can only be started on the day they are scheduled for.
  • Journeys grouped by day
    Today, upcoming, recent and completed today.
  • Desktop map view
    The driver map screen now works on desktop too.
  • Journey detail view
    The first part of the journey overview in the new admin portal.
  • Vehicle checks
    Daily and weekly checks recorded separately, photos optional on the weekly check, and answers colour coded green and red.
  • Only today’s checks
    Drivers are no longer asked to complete checks for a journey that is not today.
  • One journey map
    Both portals now share the same map.
  • Weekly checks
    Checks without photos no longer ask the driver to do them again.
  • GPS warning
    Clears once GPS is switched back on.
  • Back button
    Returns to the journey rather than the dashboard.
  • Home address changes
    Now refresh the map location.
  • Cancellation reasons
    Now match the third-party API list exactly.

2026.26

Vanguard

26 June 2026

The new driver portal moves to staging

Our first major push of the new driver portal out of test and into the staging environment. It can now be tested and used properly, and it is a marked improvement on the first release in May.

  • Map mode updates
    Pick a pickup or drop-off and that leg highlights on the map.
  • Scroll the whole run
    Move through each pickup and drop-off to see the full day as it will look.
  • GPS status on the map
    The map view says whether GPS is on or off, and shows the day’s journeys as well as the dashboard.
  • Location only tracked on a journey
    Tracking is off when a driver is not on an active journey. Live location still comes from the device GPS, but nothing is stored until a journey starts.
  • Further usability work
    Smaller improvements throughout the portal.

2026.25

Vanguard

19 June 2026

Two-step sign-in

  • Two-step sign-in
    For admins and drivers, with sign-in details stored encrypted.
  • New admin portal foundation
    Completed and reviewed. Everything in the new portal builds on it.
  • Error messages
    Now come back in the right language.
  • Journey analysis report
    Works when reporting back as far as 1 January.
  • Two-step sign-in
    Works for people without an email address on file.
  • Cancellation reasons
    More reasons now pass through the third-party API correctly.
  • Driver portal
    Journeys show again.

2026.24

Vanguard

12 June 2026

Foundations for the new admin portal

Work begins on the new admin portal, built on the same foundations as the new driver portal so fixes land in both at once.

  • New admin portal
    Page structure, sign-in and session handling in place.
  • One codebase for both portals
    The driver portal now shares the same structure.
  • Audit logging
    Leg updates are now recorded in the audit log.
  • Simpler web addresses
    Each site is now reached by folder rather than a separate address, with certificates renewed.
  • One notification area
    Connection warnings and messages in the driver app now share a single notification system.
  • Pickup and drop-off permissions
    Checked when ticking off and unticking.
  • Upcoming journeys
    No longer include today’s journeys.
  • Unallocating a driver
    No longer unallocates every vehicle on the journey. Turned round the same day.

2026.23

Vanguard

5 June 2026

The driver app becomes an app of its own

The driver app now runs separately from the rest of Road XS, so it can be updated and released on its own.

  • Standalone driver app
    Moved into a project of its own, with Android builds carried across.
  • Start and finish markers
    Completed journeys show where they began and ended, with the route drawn along the roads actually travelled.
  • Direction and accuracy
    The driver’s position now records which way they are facing and how accurate the GPS reading is.
  • Automatic publishing
    Driver app releases now publish automatically to each environment.
  • Address suggestions
    Postcodes are now filled in for every suggested address.
  • Clearer messages
    The passenger missing alert and journey created message have been reworded.
  • Group cancellations
    Now send the right journey type and reason through the third-party API.
  • Journey overview
    Cancelled journeys no longer cause an error.
  • Flexible times
    Applied to everyone travelling together when a leg is updated.
  • Unallocating a driver
    The journey now returns to driver pending.
  • Sign-in page and logo
    The sign-in page loads correctly, with a fallback when no logo is set.
2026.21.2 Vanguard 22 May 2026

Driver portal tidy-up

  • Driver portal updatesMinor updates and improvements following the preview release.
  • Interface updatesGeneral UI corrections.
  • Directional arrowNow moves in real time and captures speed.
2026.21.1 Vanguard 20 May 2026

A brand-new driver portal, for preview and testing

This release paves the way for what comes next: parts of the driver portal, and the technology and data behind it, will be reused in the new admin portal along with much of the new design.

  • Completely rebuilt portalNew technology, new design, released for preview and testing.
  • Follow Me, dark mode and directional locationsBuilt in from the start.
  • Everything carried acrossAll key information transferred from the current version.
  • New GPS triggers and offline warningsPlus a new map view showing live location and journey progress.
  • Vehicle check workflowsWith photos and damage reports.
  • Cleaner interfaceSimplified navigation throughout.
2026.17.1 Vanguard 22 April 2026

Cancelled journeys in the reports

  • Cancelled journeys in journey analysisThey now appear in the report, and in completed and all journeys.
  • Journey auditMinor updates.
  • API improvementsMinor updates to information sharing.
  • Client references on cancelled journeysNow shown.
2026.17 Vanguard 20 April 2026

Vulnerability flags on the journey overview

  • Vulnerability flags for service users and locationsShown in the passenger area of the journey overview, with a date of birth warning if the passenger is under 18.
  • Green pulse for completed pickupsShows in the driver portal so drivers can see where they are up to.
  • Admins can override driver timesEdit the pickup and drop-off times set by the driver.
  • Service user fields renamedClearer in relation to the vulnerability flags.
  • API improvementsOngoing updates.
  • Messaging removedTaken out of both the admin and driver portals.
  • Bug fixes and interface workGeneral.
2026.16 Vanguard 15 April 2026

MFA in the driver portal

  • Multi-factor authenticationNow available in the driver portal.
  • Faster GPS acquisitionSpeeds up confirming pickups and drop-offs, and smooths the vehicle check.
  • Fuller journey auditCaptures the whole workflow of events.
  • Drop-off order enforcedA drop-off cannot be confirmed before its pickup.
  • Journey audit titlesPickup and drop-off now named correctly.
2026.15 Vanguard 8 April 2026

Last known locations on the GPS board

  • Live GPS boardShows the last known location of any reported driver.
  • Same-hour bookingsJourneys can now be booked within the hour.
  • Journey analysis reportRedundant columns removed.
  • Third-party driver filterFixed for manual driver assignment.
  • Drivers without related codesErrors on adding them resolved.
2026.14 Vanguard 2 April 2026

Same-day journey refresh, and a better journey analysis export

  • Same-day refresh jobRuns at half past each hour to update anything happening that day.
  • More journey analysis columnsAdditional detail in the report.
  • Cancelled journeys and reasonsNow accommodated in journey analysis, with a scroll bar along the base.
  • CSV exportJourney analysis exports more cleanly.
  • Board links stay in the same windowAction board and departure board.
  • Support offices and proposed addressesPulled through with pickup and drop-off locations.
2026.13 Vanguard 25 March 2026

A complete journey audit, and exports across the boards

A set of consolidated updates.

  • Complete journey auditAccessible from the journey overview, with CSV export.
  • Export action board items to CSVFrom the board itself.
  • Live GPS history exportWhere live GPS is enabled, export the location history captured against the journey.
  • Edit support officers from the journey overviewSelected from the related module, with access controlled by role.
  • Settings access controlA role manager setting to switch the settings menu off for specific users.
  • Action boardNo longer greys out once the journey time has passed, and confirmed journeys can be viewed on it.
  • Full addresses on the action boardTo and from addresses shown in full.
  • Journey analysis reportNew columns, postcodes split out, and client references grouped into one cell.
  • Go button state in the driver portalGreys out once passengers are confirmed as picked up. Notes still open by tapping a name.
  • Vehicle check photos can be skippedFor when phone signal is poor.
  • PDF run sheetDownloadable again for offline backup.
  • Cancellation reportLoads correctly, with more reasons to follow.
  • Driver portal on tabletsInterim fix for an error on tablet devices.
  • Journey analysis headersUpdated and aligned.
  • Notes workflowRelated passenger notes removed from the booking form and journey overview.
2026.11 Vanguard 10 March 2026

Cross-decking, and references per journey

  • Additional drivers and vehicles on a journeySupports cross-decking, with a cross-decking option on the journey overview.
  • Add passengers from the journey overviewWithout going back to the booking form.
  • Confirm pickup times admin sideWith multi-select across passengers.
  • References per journeyApply to everyone or to individuals, and edit or remove them later.
  • Driver dashboard layoutPickup and drop-off information included in the driver portal app.
  • Disability icon in the driver portalShown when viewing passenger notes.
  • Multi-select layoutSelecting several passengers when setting the confirmed pickup time now works.
2026.10 Vanguard 2 March 2026

Cancelled passengers stay visible

  • Cancellations on both sidesService user cancellations show admin side and in the driver portal.
  • Cancelled passengers remain on journeysVisible on the journey overview and in the driver portal popup.
  • Completed journeys for driversNow listed in the driver portal.
  • Interface updatesMinor work in the driver portal.
  • Vehicle equipment checklistRoof rack removed.
2026.9 Vanguard 23 February 2026

Vulnerabilities on the departure board

  • Vulnerabilities per service userReleased onto the departure board.
  • Journey type on the overviewShown under the scheme, top left.
  • Booking form notes on the overviewRelated journey notes now carried through.
  • Edit journey legImproved and now stable. Drop-off date and time left in place for now.
  • Group cancellation statusA new cancelled group status, with an API function to return only those passengers.
2026.9 Current platform 26 February 2026

A new address lookup on every profile

Our previous postcode lookup provider closed down, so we moved to a new address lookup service.

  • Address lookup replacedPassenger, driver and location profiles now use the upgraded address lookup when you add or edit details. Applied to all versions of Road XS.
2026.8.3 Vanguard 20 February 2026

Cancellation rules aligned across admin and driver

  • Cancellation timingPassengers cannot be cancelled from a journey until it starts, driver side.
  • Cancellation reasons alignedThe same reasons admin side and driver side, now including FTT.
  • Journey overview sidebar tidiedDriver fee step and manage passengers removed for now.
  • Independent passengers via APIImported without being linked to a primary passenger.
  • Service areasNo longer default to the first area.
2026.8.2 Vanguard 18 February 2026

Journeys complete themselves when the last tick lands

  • Auto-complete on final pickupTicking off all pickups marks the journey complete and stops it.
  • Single passenger popupBehaves like the grouped passenger popup.
  • Action board columnsNow match the departure board.
  • Vulnerability flags in the popupShown when viewing passenger information.
  • Journey analysis reportCorrect counts, drivers linked properly, and grouped passengers under one journey ID.
  • Departure board exportReflects the information required.
  • Vehicles listed alphabeticallyBy registration, when selecting in the driver portal.
  • Loading animation on cancellationAdmin side.
  • Group cancellationNow works.
  • 48-hour reminder textRemoved as unnecessary.
2026.8.1 Vanguard 15 February 2026

Android release, and completion on confirmation

  • Journey completionShows as completed once the driver has confirmed all ticks.
  • Driver portal interfacePlus an Android app update and release.
2026.7.3 Vanguard 12 February 2026

Board links from driver lookup

  • Direct links from driver lookupStraight to the action board and departure board.
  • Fixed journey timesRunning more smoothly.
  • Third-party allocation layoutCorrected.
  • Storing a locationFix released.
2026.7.2 Vanguard 11 February 2026

Confirm a pickup from the circles

  • Pickup confirmation admin sideClick the pickup or drop-off circles to confirm the time.
2026.7.1 Vanguard 10 February 2026

Settling the new manual workflow

These updates cover the major changes from switching full automation off, into the manual workflow requested for this phase, and stabilising it after the first prototype.

  • Passenger groupingPassengers no longer pop out of groups and re-link on refresh.
  • Manual driver allocationFixed when changing driver types.
  • More journey analysis columnsAdded.
2026.6 Vanguard 6 February 2026

Urgent address lookup fix, out within a day

  • Actual pickup and drop-off timesAs set in the driver portal, now on the journey overview.
  • Address lookup outageOur third-party provider closed with little notice. A fix went out within 24 hours so bookings could carry on, and we are staying on it. It brings some DRT changes we will revisit.
2026.5.3 Vanguard 30 January 2026

Manual workflow or algorithm, per driver type

  • Choose the workflow per driver typeSet whether a driver type uses the manual workflow or the algorithm.
  • Fixed journey typesNo longer stick in a processing state when allocating a driver.
  • Passenger info flashResolved when cancelling a journey.
2026.5.2 Vanguard 28 January 2026

Pickup times admin side, and actual times on the overview

  • Add pickup times admin sideFor journeys not completed by the driver in the app.
  • Actual times on the overviewDriver-set pickups and drop-offs show as the times they actually happened.
  • Manual driver lookupDrivers show again.
  • Third-party allocationAllocate transport companies through the manual flow without suggested times.
2026.5.1 Vanguard 26 January 2026

A move from full automation to a manual workflow

  • New workflow releasedSome journey types need no time allocation applied, so we moved from full automation to a manual workflow. This is a fundamental change to how the software was built to work, and it may be bumpy while we smooth it over.
  • Suggested time slotsShown when looking up driver types, to see whether a journey fits a driver’s shift.
2026.3 Vanguard 18 January 2026

Driver shifts in the algorithm

  • Shifts fully accommodatedDriver shifts now feed into the algorithm.
  • Set when journeys happenBy journey type or service area, with driver overtime on the availability calendar.
2025.51 Vanguard 17 December 2025

Editing a journey leg reschedules it for you

  • Edit journey legs with automatic reschedulingChange a destination or address and the journey reschedules to a new driver, or recommends a third-party service. Works for a group or a single passenger.
  • Group IDs alongside passenger groupsMove a whole group between vehicles, and pass the detail back into third-party software that integrates with Road XS.
  • Cancel a group as oneRather than passenger by passenger.
  • Process and merge groupsGroups of passengers can be merged.
  • New database structuresSupporting the linking of passenger groups.
2025.49.2 Vanguard 4 December 2025

More fields in journey analysis

  • Journey analysis reportAdditional fields added.
  • Departure board fieldsUpdated.
2025.49.1 Vanguard 2 December 2025

GPS tracking, sharpened

Worth knowing: GPS works best with the screen on and battery saving turned off, which lets the location ping more often.

  • Core GPS tracking in the driver portalStarting a journey updates the live red pulse instantly admin side, with the live what3words location alongside it.
  • Smoother pulseThe GPS location appears faster and moves more smoothly on the map.
  • Personnel on the journey overviewClearer on screen.
2025.48 Vanguard 30 November 2025

Vehicle and driver categories

  • Categories for vehicles and driversSee which vehicles and which drivers belong to which companies.
  • Third-party API updatesA set of updates to the integration service.
  • Driver portal appFirst internal release.
  • Bug fixes and improvementsGeneral.
2025.47 Vanguard 23 November 2025

Driver portal design for multiple pickups

  • Multiple passenger pickupsDesign work in the driver portal for runs with several passengers.
  • Assigned personnelNow shown on the journey overview route information.
2025.44 Vanguard 30 October 2025

Better coordinate handling for what3words

  • Longitude and latitude handlingImproved, and better translated into a what3words location to help confirm addresses.
  • Database updates and migrationsBehind the scenes.
  • Bug fixes and debuggingFrom issues raised.
2025.43.3 Vanguard 24 October 2025

Know which server you are on

  • Environment logosStaging and live carry their own logos so users know which server they are working from.
2025.43.2 Vanguard 23 October 2025

Estimated and overridden locations, at a glance

  • Environment logosAdded to the staging and live environments.
  • what3words icon statesAn estimated location shows a grey icon, a manually overridden one shows red.
2025.43.1 Vanguard 21 October 2025

Vulnerabilities and disabilities linked from third-party data

  • Third-party key data linkedHighlighting vulnerabilities and disabilities.
  • Reworked passenger lookupChanging how information is passed across into Road XS.
2025.42.2 Vanguard 16 October 2025

Allocate vehicles by hand

  • Manual vehicle allocationAssign a vehicle to a journey yourself.
2025.42.1 Vanguard 14 October 2025

Import passengers and dependents through the API

  • Passenger import via third-party APIPassengers and their dependents come into the booking form, and you choose who is travelling.
  • Selection confirmationThe system confirms the right passengers have been selected.
  • Reuse a vehicle across journeysA vehicle can be added more than once, even if it is on another journey, so you can assign a vehicle or driver to a third-party company without knowing every detail.
  • Staging areaSet up and confirmed.
2025.41 Vanguard 10 October 2025

Vehicle check photos that fit a phone

  • Filter drivers by typeIn driver lookup.
  • Service area and personnel on the booking formHooked up and working.
  • New server fully onlineStaging and live configured, with new business practices in place.
  • Driver photo layoutVehicle check photos now fit mobile screens properly.
  • Individual passenger mileageCalculated against the total mileage for the journey.
  • Damage report imagesMinor updates, with layout changes admin side.
  • Driver login processReworked.
  • Driver password fieldOversized icon removed.
  • Journey mileage and timeNow shown against the algorithm total.
2025.41 Current platform 7 October 2025

Vehicle lookup updated for DVLA and DVSA

  • Vehicle lookup on a new connectionAligned with the latest DVLA and DVSA standards so vehicle details and MOT information stay accurate and current.
  • Applies to your whole fleetEvery vehicle held in Road XS uses the new lookup.
2025.39.2 Vanguard 25 September 2025

Service areas and vehicles on driver profiles

  • Service area importService area information comes into Road XS through the third-party API.
  • Link vehicles to a driverFrom the driver profile.
  • Faster driver entrySome required fields relaxed.
2025.39.1 Vanguard 23 September 2025

Who is greeting the passenger on arrival

  • Assign personnel to journeysRecord who will greet passengers on arrival. Shown clearly in the driver portal.
  • Store personnel for reuseAdd them admin side and pick them from the booking form.
  • Chargeable journeysJourneys show whether they are chargeable.
  • Passenger dependentsNow working and properly linked.
  • Vehicle loading and statusesUpdated into the third-party system.
2025.37 Vanguard 5 September 2025

Third-party integration working end to end

  • API integration with additional identifiersNow working.
  • Passenger lookupWorking properly, with journey information pulling into the booking form and matching service users.
  • Pass-through searchSearch for users and passengers across systems.
  • Journey hooks and OAuthReleased and installed.
  • Error handlingBetter handling and logging for the third-party integration.
  • API and unit testsIssues resolved.
2025.36 Vanguard 2 September 2025

The first version of the allocation algorithm

  • Automatic assignment to the nearest driverBased on the driver radius, after internal testing.
  • Rules-based allocationThe algorithm runs a set of rules and allocates to meet them.
  • Vehicle pending for the restAnything it cannot assign goes to vehicle pending for third-party operators.
  • One journey per driverEach driver has operating times assigned, and groups and single passengers appear in the same journey.
  • New DVLA connectionFor vehicle detail lookup. The information is the same for now, but it opens the door to recalls and more.
2025.33.2 Vanguard 14 August 2025

Inspection endpoints

  • Frontend work for new inspection endpointsCompleted.
  • Status endpointsAdded, with the technical groundwork for third-party data requirements.
  • Third-party API errorsBug fixes from errors coming across the integration.
2025.33.1 Vanguard 11 August 2025

Vehicle damage reports

  • Damage reportsCapture damage from a journey, or from before it.
  • Database updatesPreparing for the workflows to come.
  • Minor bug fixesGeneral.
2025.31.3 Vanguard 31 July 2025

Vehicle check confirmation

  • Confirmation messageDrivers get a confirmation once a vehicle check is complete.
2025.31.2 Vanguard 30 July 2025

More vehicle fields

  • Additional vehicle fieldsAdded to vehicles.
2025.31.1 Vanguard 28 July 2025

Swap vehicles from the driver portal

  • Select and swap vehiclesDrivers can change vehicle in the portal.
2025.30 Vanguard 23 July 2025

Vehicle checks before the journey starts

  • Vehicle check process in the driver portalDrivers complete checks before starting a journey. This brings a lot of new behaviour around journey start, GPS refresh running in the background, vehicle photos and a daily check history. Photos are set to happen once a week.
  • Some steps now requiredCertain functions are enforced rather than optional.
  • Booking form tweaksUpdates throughout.
2025.29 Vanguard 14 July 2025

Custom booking form

  • Custom booking formReleased.
2025.27.2 Vanguard 3 July 2025

Passenger IDs, and a flag when one is missing

  • Additional unique IDs on passenger profilesWith a flag on the profile where an ID is missing.
2025.27.1 Vanguard 1 July 2025

what3words pinning logic

  • Auto logic updateFor pinning addresses.
2025.24.2 Vanguard 15 June 2025

Client reference codes on the booking form

  • Client reference codesAdded to the booking form.
  • Custom codesA setting to add your own client reference codes.
2025.24.1 Vanguard 9 June 2025

Road XS IDs for passengers and drivers

  • New Road XS IDFor passengers and drivers.
  • More identification on passenger profilesAdditional items added.
2025.22 Vanguard 28 May 2025

Cross-deck locations, and estimated what3words pins

You can mark a location as a cross-decking point, so vehicles can meet there and passengers swap vehicles, and pick it from the booking form.

  • what3words estimates on addressesEntering an address estimates the location automatically, and you can override it by hand. Estimates show orange, manual overrides show green.
  • Cross-deck locationsNow available as an option on the booking form.
  • Date and time functionsResolved where values were returning null.
  • Password hashingMD5 hash updated in the database for better security.
2025.20 Vanguard 17 May 2025

A new instance for the next phase

  • New instanceSet up to support the development of Road XS for the next phase.
  • New custom logoApplied to the environment.
2025.18 Current platform 30 April 2025

Alpha phase, released in stages

The Alpha phase of the Vanguard programme, released gradually rather than to everyone at once while testing continued.

  • Core architecture upgradedKey enhancements to the underlying system architecture, laying the foundation for performance, scalability and long-term maintainability.
  • Gradual deploymentNot yet available to every operator while further testing and staged deployment continue.
2025.8 Current platform 18 February 2025

GP surgeries on passenger profiles

  • Assign passengers to a registered GP surgeryRecorded on the passenger profile to support ICB funding and reporting.
  • DRT algorithm updateA smoother booking experience for passengers travelling on demand-responsive services.
2025.7 Current platform 16 February 2025

Road XS moves to the London data centre

A full migration to our Google Cloud Platform environment in London, and the start of a new direction for the platform.

  • Google Cloud Platform, LondonRoad XS now runs on Google Cloud in London, for stronger performance and reliability.
  • Hourly backups for everyoneEnhanced backup capability included for every operator, on every plan.
  • Strengthened security postureSecurity measures hardened as part of the move, with a foundation built for growth.
  • New framework and access pointA new platform framework and single access point for everything in Road XS.

Archive

Earlier history

Each year below is a summary of its biggest changes, back to our launch in 2016. From 2025, you’ll find every release in full above.

2024
  • Driver Portal app for iOS and AndroidReleased on both platforms, with hand-off straight into navigation apps.
  • Road XS Community launchesSomewhere to get support, request features and talk to other operators.
  • DRT and Dial-a-Ride return bookingsBook the return leg in the same step as the outbound.
  • Blended Dial-a-Ride and DRT settingRun both models in a single system.
  • Assign passengers to service areasLimit passenger access to specific DRT service areas.
  • White papers publishedPublic transport transformation, community transport challenges and volunteer driver recruitment.
  • The Road XS Podcast is backTen new episodes.
  • Location notesAdd parking tips, opening hours and access notes to favourite locations.
  • Hide driver detailsA setting to control whether driver contact details appear in the passenger portal.
  • New cancellation reason: passenger on holidaySharper cancellation reporting.
  • Dashboard updateDirect links to the support portal, what’s new and feature requests.
  • Arrive-by journey bookingsTime-specific routing so passengers land at appointments on time.
  • DRT and Dial-a-Ride algorithm upgradeA major upgrade streamlining routing and automation, with two further refinements through the year.
  • Bus stops boardEvery virtual and physical stop across your DRT service area in one view.
  • Service area improvements for DRTStart and stop times now handle same-day splits, such as school runs and standard DRT.
  • Live vehicle locationVehicle position pulses in real time on journey overviews.
  • Automation with manual overrideBetter control of invoice generation, including a manual override.
  • Journey Analysis reportMore fields, CSV export, and what3words pickup and drop-off data included.
  • Car Club booking calendarSmoother scheduling.
  • Editing car scheme journeysHome location bug resolved and the editing workflow improved.
  • Passenger editing restoredRe-enabled after being unintentionally switched off.
  • Passenger auto-archivingInactive passengers archive as expected again.
  • Car journey bookingIssues following a performance and security roll-out resolved.
2023
  • The next generation of Road XS launchesA major redesign: new portals, journey creation, menu systems and branding.
  • Car Club moduleReleased in beta, with automated driver payment calculations.
  • Interactive Activity BoardA calendar view to see, filter and manage journeys.
  • Driver Availability CalendarDrag-and-drop availability setting.
  • Login as passengerAdmins can step into a passenger account, with permission, to support them properly.
  • Road XS ThemesSeasonal visuals that change through the year.
  • Quick Stats and journey stats reportsMonitor your service at a glance.
  • Automatically close fee-pending journeysComplete journeys without confirming mileage or fees when they are not needed.
  • Disable driver self-allocationStop drivers allocating themselves to journeys in the portal.
  • Filter by vehicle in the passenger portalOn the availability screen.
  • Remove a carer from a journeyAfter the journey has been created.
  • Deceased statusRecordable on driver and passenger profiles.
  • Server upgrade completeA significant lift in speed and reliability.
  • Recurring journey calculationsMore accurate dates and times across a set.
  • Routing algorithm accuracyBetter arrival time accuracy in the optimiser.
  • Invoice PDF preview and downloadBack in the new interface.
  • Car Club workflow and reportingJourneys enter fee pending by default; fares and fees now visible in journey analysis.
  • Driver run sheetA cleaner version drivers can download.
  • Live viewImproved GPS view with driver location updates.
  • Journey categories reportBreaks down to grouping level.
  • Passenger membership statusVisible in listings; notes now carry journey ID links.
  • Mobility and payment detail on PDFsIncluded in journey documents.
  • Start and stop pointsShown wherever volunteers are allocated.
  • Driver removal when unavailableDrivers come off journeys automatically when marked unavailable.
  • Map API IP blockingResolved the issue causing maps to disappear.
  • Invoice filters and invoicing tableFiltering and transaction type columns corrected.
  • Availability calendarCalendar bugs and unallocated driver alerts fixed.
  • Car Club bookingsSeveral passenger booking issues resolved, including availability feedback.
  • Passenger profile savingSaving error caused by new fields resolved.
  • Mileage and costingsNow display and calculate correctly.
  • Reports and CSV exportsMembership status and postcode monthly views corrected.
2022
  • Pinpoint locations with what3wordsPaste a what3words address to set an exact map pin and cut routing errors.
  • what3words across profilesIcons show which passengers, drivers and locations are pinpointed, with direct links.
  • Dead mileageCalculate mileage travelled without passengers on board, switched on in settings.
  • Automated dead-mileage invoicingInclude dead mileage in automated invoice runs.
  • Road XS ConnectAssign service areas to passengers, drivers and vehicles for shared and regional operations.
  • Driver releaseReuse a driver for local trips while they wait for a return pickup.
  • Payment via cardCard payments supported when creating a journey.
  • Performance update releasedRoad XS performance increased by 62% through back-end work.
  • Pickup windowsClearly displayed to passengers during dispatch.
  • Return pickup timesSet more efficiently when assigning passengers to dispatch or DRT.
  • Start and stop on dispatchEasier route planning.
  • Vehicle availabilityBetter handling across Dial-a-Ride, DRT and group travel.
  • Default return pickup locationThe first pickup location is retained when managing return trips.
2021
  • New dispatch workflow launchedFor fixed and demand-driven routes alike.
  • Interactive Activity BoardWeekly calendar views with driver, vehicle and service filters.
  • New run sheet designA4 format showing more data, ideal for Dial-a-Ride and group trips.
  • New address lookup systemFaster, more stable location handling.
  • District reportingReport by district and remove postcode overlaps.
  • Invoicing reportExport overdue and custom invoice information.
  • Membership report with expiring listTrack expired and soon-to-expire memberships, with exports.
  • Download multiple invoicesSelect and download invoice PDFs in bulk.
  • Postcode area contact exportsPassenger and driver contacts by postcode group.
  • Round up mileage feesRound to the nearest 50p, or leave as calculated.
  • New journey filtersNext week and next month views.
  • Performance improvementsInvoicing and platform speed, with more automation.
  • How was the journey?Hospital delay and appointment overran added to feedback options.
  • Driver updates reminderA 30-day reminder to keep driver details compliant.
  • Next of kin on journey overviewEmergency contact detail where you need it.
  • Return pickup and driver availability timesMore intuitive to set and truer to real availability.
  • Support consolidatedSupport portal and in-app help brought together, with an improved answer bot.
  • Automated invoicingGeneral improvements and PDF generation fixes; emails removed from auto invoices.
  • Recurring journey set filtersView subsets of a recurring set.
  • Journey notes in the driver appAdmin-set notes now visible to drivers.
  • Extended disability reportingBreakdown by journey category.
  • Security updatePlatform and support portal security improved.
  • Additional passengersPassenger addition error resolved.
  • Dial-a-Ride feesReturn trip charges display correctly.
  • Source reportCounts accurately when filtering by service area.
  • Concessionary travelCalculations respect all time bands.
  • Recurring journey datesExtension dates corrected.
  • Postcode lookup working againAddress lookup restored.
  • DVLA data overrideOut-of-date DVLA integration causing driver lookup issues fixed.
2020
  • Road XS DeliveriesRouting and volunteer scheduling for parcels, food and medication.
  • Road XS WellbeingTrack and log driver and passenger wellbeing over time.
  • Emergency high-dependency patient transportMulti-crew allocation for urgent care journeys.
  • what3words launches on Road XSPinpoint accuracy for journeys.
  • Passenger membership managementRenewals and expiry tracking.
  • Driver notes on the goLive, GPS-stamped notes from the portal.
  • Driver schedule reminder serviceDaily email reminders of upcoming journeys.
  • Journey concessionsAutomatically applied concessions, introduced.
  • Automated remittance invoices for driversSystem-generated mileage owed for contract drivers.
  • Finance reportsMileage remittance, admin dues and unpaid invoices, exportable.
  • Journey Analysis reportPassenger, driver and payment breakdowns, with custom date ranges.
  • Verify journeys for accuracyConfirm details before notification and invoicing.
  • Advanced feesFee-per-mile for admin, delivery or patient-specific rates.
  • Minimum mileageGlobally, and per passenger.
  • Journey locking for Dial-a-RideLock automated times against changes.
  • Recently visited locations per passengerFrequent drop-offs offered when booking.
  • Passenger loading timesCustom loading time per passenger for truer schedules.
  • Blue badge holdersIdentified on the journey overview.
  • Jump to driver and passenger profilesDirect links from the journey overview.
  • Coronavirus cancellation reasonCOVID-19 added as a cancellation category.
  • Feature request areaSubmit and vote on ideas.
  • Passenger totals and postcode group reportsMonthly and yearly counts, and journeys by postcode.
  • Driver Portal usage reportMonitor driver engagement.
  • Prevent drivers being unallocatedOptional role restriction to preserve allocations.
  • Festive Christmas themeA seasonal dashboard for the holidays.
  • Estimated pickup timeSuggests the optimal pickup rather than the appointment time.
  • Dial-a-Ride buffer and transit settingsIntroduced for tighter scheduling.
  • Extended driver availability timesFull 24-hour shifts supported.
  • Driver Portal rebuildNew layout, mileage claims, messaging and clearer data.
  • Driver busyness indicatorA truer picture of who is free.
  • Invoice design and automated invoicingCleaner layout, adaptive footer, more captured data.
  • Admin and mileage breakdown per passengerHover a fare to see the individual breakdown.
  • Pinned notesSit at the top of passenger notes.
  • Passenger titles and active-first listingsSmall changes that save a click.
  • Postcodes report optimisationFaster loading and accurate results.
  • Lookup speedFaster location search.
  • Email notificationsMore reliable delivery for invoicing and reminders.
  • Performance improvementsReduced page load times and faster reports.
  • Vehicle statusDisplay bug resolved.
  • Recurring journeysPrimary driver retention and heavy data processing addressed.
  • Additional pickups and drop-offsComplex routing for up to four pickups and drop-offs restored.
  • Outstanding driver fees reportUntracked journeys in driver payment summaries resolved.
  • Carer fee calculationCarers excluded from the passenger fare count.
  • Default location timesTime reset issue tied to setting order fixed.
  • Return-only drop-off timesAdjustment issue corrected.
2019
  • Passenger Portal24/7 journey booking for passengers.
  • Booking BotA virtual assistant that helps passengers book.
  • Redesigned journey creation workflowA new end-to-end booking experience.
  • Journey optimisation upgradeMajor improvements for Dial-a-Ride, with better transit time accuracy.
  • New mapping engineThe platform’s core mapping system updated.
  • Journey verification processVerify journeys and reduce data entry errors.
  • Updated Driver Portal interfaceA new design, plus a Driver Portal bot.
  • Do Not Disturb modeDrivers can mark themselves unavailable.
  • Driver busyness indicatorAvailability visible in lookup results.
  • Internal messaging systemBuilt into Road XS.
  • Community area launchFeature requests, voting and shared resources.
  • Unconfirmed journey statusFor bookings made through the passenger portal.
  • Postcode reportGrouped data insights.
  • Payment method fieldCash and other methods shown clearly on the journey.
  • Demand-responsive passenger countA new field for flexible pickups.
  • Minimum driver fee settingSet by payment source.
  • Notification preferencesConfigurable per user.
  • Bus pass numberHeld on the passenger profile.
  • Journey invoice export optionsMultiple formats.
  • Server migrationBack-end improvements for speed and performance.
  • Booking calendarDynamic time slots added.
  • Booking workflow redesignsGroup and DRT flows streamlined.
  • Interactive DRT run sheetA run sheet you can work with.
  • Driver Portal mileageBetter interface and claim workflow, plus self-allocation on mobile.
  • Global search barReach invoice data directly.
  • Invoice breakdown flexibilityShow admin fee, mileage or both.
  • Invoicing processMore options and greater stability in automated generation.
  • Editable areas and sourcesAdmins can change service areas and payment sources.
  • Expanded cancellation reasonsMore ways to record why a journey did not run.
  • Route recalculate buttonEasier access to recalculation.
  • Mileage entry for adminsA smoother experience.
  • Passenger contact in Driver PortalPhone numbers shown after confirmation.
  • Do Not DisturbNow reliable in the Driver Portal.
  • Recurring journey IDsDisplayed correctly.
  • Reporting issueA report not returning data resolved.
  • Workflow bugsStability adjustments through the year.
2018
  • Route Manager replaces recurring journeysManual route override, waypoint sequencing and multi-passenger journeys.
  • Independent passengersUnique profiles, with blue badge, NHS number and more.
  • Olive, the Road XS chatbotChat help around the clock, alongside real-time support.
  • GDPR features and consent scriptPlus system-wide notifications and an integrated support platform.
  • Pay-as-you-go invoicingWith PDF previews, reminders and email templates.
  • Square payment systemIntroduced for card handling.
  • Redesigned Driver PortalIncluding admin login as driver and driver status monitoring.
  • Vehicle activity boardWith service indicators.
  • New reports interfacePerformance, journey, mileage and HMRC-ready reports.
  • New Road XS logo and custom fontA refreshed identity.
  • Journey creation experienceEspecially multi-passenger and return legs.
  • Auto passenger archivingCleaner data with less effort.
  • Driver portal design and lookupAccuracy and usability throughout.
  • Security and location access controlTighter permissions.
  • Booking workflows and audit trailsMore robust records.
  • UI clarity on small screensLayout, font and shadow adjustments.
  • Journey search and paginationFaster to get to the right record.
  • Post-Everest release bugsReport filters, chart visuals and beta UI issues.
  • GDPR and lookup bugsResolved.
  • Invoice rendering and email designCorrected, with audit log visibility improved.
  • Community-reported bugsA steady stream, resolved.
2017
  • Dial-a-Ride smart routingOptimised pickup and drop-off order, with a clearer journey layout.
  • Invoice automation and managementVAT handling, reminders, automation and exports.
  • Service areas and permissionsAccess control per area and service, renamed from offices.
  • Multi-passenger journeysEstimated pickup times and smart mapping.
  • Recurring journeys upgradeDaily, weekly and monthly recurrence with more control.
  • Fleet, minibus and smart route managementVehicle and licence management with live routing updates.
  • Waypoint supportDetailed route control.
  • Profile enhancementsPostcode lookup, ethnicity and gender fields, hover-over notes.
  • Offline mode and email toolsExport daily schedules and email journey summaries.
  • Carer support and editable appointment timesJourney options reflect who is travelling.
  • Seasonal and themed interfacesChristmas and remembrance themes.
  • Admin toolsArchive passengers, action boards and recurring journey edits.
  • Driver and journey interface refreshNew icons and layout across admin and driver portals.
  • Mapping engine and route planningAccuracy and performance across the board.
  • Driver lookup and allocationRadius lookup, priority listing and colour-coded clarity.
  • Availability, validation and workflowDriver unavailability settings and better allocation flow.
  • Security and GDPR preparationAccess control, login visibility and encryption updates.
  • Reporting upgradesEasier navigation, mileage breakdowns and comparison tools.
  • Community and support platformChat, ticketing and feedback in one place.
  • Lookup bugs and UI glitchesLayout mismatches and database syncs resolved.
  • Driver availability and allocationCalendar, scheduling and drop-down conflicts fixed.
  • Recurring journeysDuplication and validation problems resolved.
  • General optimisationQuality-of-life updates and database performance.
2016
  • Journey status flowDriver pending, call pending, confirmed.
  • Recurring journey managementJourney limits and automatic status tracking.
  • Driver and passenger profile fieldsDBS expiry, journey source and operator tagging.
  • Journey delay logging and cancellation reasonsRecorded and reportable.
  • First reports suitePerformance, destination and journey category reports with charts and CSV export.
  • Feature requests and community integrationVote on what comes next.
  • Interface, UX and visual designJourney tables, status colours and dashboards refreshed.
  • Driver allocation and validationBetter logic, flow and sorting.
  • Recurring and return journey handlingClearer status, validation and fee estimation.
  • Security, permissions and archivingEarly alignment with GDPR.
  • Reporting and analyticsBetter performance and breakdowns.
  • System speed and efficiencyA major back-end upgrade.
  • Journey lifecycle and fee trackingFee pending transitions and estimations corrected.
  • Driver allocation, calendar and displayAllocation logic and default calendar dates fixed.
  • Passenger profiles and archivingArchived passengers no longer affect live workflows.
  • Journey creation and data syncLookup refreshes and drop-down syncing resolved.

Road XS launched on 20 September 2016. This platform stays fully supported while the Vanguard update rolls out.