Month: June 2015

Why Being a School Bus Driver Isn’t As Easy As You Think

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

In many of the school bus songs and rhymes, you might have heard in your childhood, the job of a school bus driver sounds fun. But, when you read this, you will realize that being a school bus driver isn’t really a job it's an adventure!

Driving a school bus isn’t like driving a car, in terms of the size of the vehicle and the number of passengers. Also, being a school bus driver, there are many things they are responsible for. Their duties do not end with just driving a school bus.

School Transportation

Of course, it is the primary responsibility of any school bus driver to transport the students to school or to home safely and on time. They have to reach the bus stops on time. Driving during extreme weather conditions is always a risky affair. Therefore, they have to take all necessary measures to ensure school bus safety. Also, it is necessary for every school bus driver to have a commercial license to operate full-sized buses.

School Bus Safety

School bus drivers are responsible for ensuring school bus safety. Some school buses may have School Bus Monitoring Systems installed in them. But, that’s not enough to ensure the safety of students. School bus drivers must follow safe driving practices.

Some schools have a checklist that they provide to the school bus drivers. The drivers have to use the list to check the safety of various school bus parts.  This includes regular checks on brakes, tires, turning signals and mechanical equipment. If any issues are detected, the buses will be given for repair while the drivers will be provided with a substitute vehicle.

Bus conduct

Schools are always in search of bus drivers who can multi-task. They have to drive safely, watch the road and also look into the conduct of students in the bus. School bus drivers have the responsibility of monitoring student behaviour. They have to look for harmful behaviour and report it immediately. In some occasions, the drivers have the responsibility of assigning seats to students with behavioural issues.

Keep Records

A School Bus Tracking Software can generate reports on the school bus like the distance travelled, fuel consumed etc. But, there are some reports that are meant particularly for the school bus drivers to maintain. This includes reports on the number of students present in the bus, the number of times fuel has been replenished etc. Sometimes, they even have to keep a school bus maintenance log to look into the maintenance of school buses. These reports are then handed over to the transport manager or administrator on a weekly basis.

Even if school bus drivers comply with all rules and regulations and do their job with perfection, they are never appreciated for what they do. Still, the school bus drivers go on with their duties, facing every obstacle that goes their way to commute the precious little lives to safety, no matter what.

Police verification of school bus drivers and conductors mandatory

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

Chandigarh: Prior to school opening after the summer holidays, the UT Education Department and police decided to ensure better safety for the students in school buses. School heads are directed by the District Education Officer to get police verification of the school bus drivers and conductors. The DEO asked the schools to follow the guidelines.

In order to meet the July 1 deadline,school bus operators are busy installing GPS and CCTV cameras on buses.

The department issued strict instructions for schools and transporters on May 19th to ensure better safety of girls travelling by school buses after the school girl molestation issue. 

Sarvjit Singh, Finance Secretary, UT, made it mandatory to deploy women attendants,install GPS and CCTV cameras on the buses of schools, coaching centres, call centres and other institutions from July 1.

Circular of District Education Officer to schools

A circular has been issued by DEO Saroj Mittal after taking note of a letter by UT police chief to the schools on June 23. The schools were directed to follow the guidelines keenly.

Copy of the circular is with Chandigarh Tribune. He stated that SSP has observed that anti-social elements are being deployed on school buses without any verification. Therefore, the verification of both the bus drivers and conductors should be done thoroughly.

GPS on buses

Members of the Chandigarh School Bus Operators Welfare Association are busy implementing GPS and CCTV in school buses after expressing their inability to install them by June-end.

Association president Manjit Singh claimed that a contract has been given to a company for installing CCTV cameras and the GPS. “We are doing our best to meet the deadline fixed by the Administration, but company officials have expressed their inability to fix the equipment in over 800 buses by June-end,” said Manjit Singh.

Safety Threats at School Bus Stops and How to Deal With Them

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

There are a lot of things that can be done to ensure school bus safety. A School Bus Monitoring System or an RFID School Bus Tracking System can be used to track the school bus location and students.

But, people do not think much about the safety concerns at school bus stops. Also, the above mentioned technology cannot help to deal with them. It is up to the parents and school authorities to understand and overcome these safety threats.

Some of them include:

Location of the school bus stop

The location of the school bus stop is the primary concern while considering student safety. Sometimes, they may be in locations infamous for offences like sexual abuse, kidnap etc.

What can be done?

While planning school bus routes, schools authorities can check the location for any anomalies before finalizing it for the school bus stop. Even parents can report to the school authorities if they have any knowledge about the same. This can help in ensuring the safety of students.

Crossing lanes to reach the bus stop

Sometimes, students have to cross roads to reach the bus stop. Usually, when the school bus arrives, roads tend to be busy. Therefore, it becomes risky for the students to cross. It is the same scenario when students alight in the evening.

What can be done?

School authorities can train the school bus drivers to check the roads and signal the students to cross. In case it doesn’t work, parents and school authorities can ask the students to be a little early to their bus stops. This can prevent them from rushing when the school bus arrives. Also, ask them to look both ways before crossing the road to reach the bus stop.

Speeding vehicles at the bus stops

It’s a familiar scene where a vehicle almost flies past a school bus at the bus stop, risking the lives of students. Most accidents in school bus stops happen due to this. Though rules and regulations exist to control such situations, people rarely comply with them.

What can be done?

Ask the students to stay a few meters away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop in the morning or until it departs from the bus stop in the evening. Also, ask them not to go to the right side of the bus while it is stopped at the bus stop. School authorities must train the school bus drivers to check for the same. This can help in avoiding unwanted accidents.

Kids getting underneath the school bus

Some students have the habit of creeping under the bus without the knowledge of the school bus drivers. They fail to realize how this act of theirs can cost their lives. Unfortunately, many students have already lost their lives in such accidents.

What can be done?

Parents must make their children aware of how such unsafe practices can prove to be fatal. Also, the school authorities can train the school bus driver to get down and ensure that there is no student under the bus. If any adult is present at the bus stop, the school bus driver can ask them to ensure that there is no one underneath the vehicle.

Usage of technology cannot really eliminate the threats at school bus stops. Parents and school authorities must work together for that. Parents must talk to their kids about the measures that can be taken at the bus stop. Also, school authorities must train the drivers to take necessary steps to make sure that the students remain safe at bus stops.

Bus Route Optimization Tips for School Bus Safety and Economy

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

As a school authority, it is your responsibility to find an alternative to every aspect of education that is cost-effective but does not lack in performance. The same applies to school buses. Optimizing school bus routes is a way by which you can save money and ensure school bus safety.

Here are some tips you can follow to achieve it:

Keep accurate student information

It is important to maintain up-to-date information about students traveling in a particular bus route. This can help in taking quick decisions.

Details like general information, safety information, emergency contacts and special requirements must be stored in one location. It becomes easy to access at times of emergency.

Store driver information centrally

Use School Bus Tracking Software to keep track of the school bus drivers’ performance. You can get information like document scheduling info, attendance, recertification testing and traffic violations using the software. This information comes in handy at times of driver license renewal, payroll calculation etc.

Maintain a fleet record

Keep a fleet record with information such as fleet type, capacity, special equipment and inspection date stored in it. This can help you in maintaining the vehicles on time and saving unwanted repair costs.  Also, understanding the capability of the school bus fleet helps you in effective school bus route optimization.

Encourage groupings of bus stop

The school bus has to stop every two minutes to let students get in. This is the case of most school buses around the world. However, the practice leads to increased fuel consumption, which is a loss for the school.

Instead, you can plan school bus stops to where about 5 to 6 students belonging to the same area can walk to board the bus. This reduces the number of bus stops and helps in saving fuel costs.

Update school bus routes

Bus route optimization is all about following cost-effective options while ensuring school bus safety.  Try bus route variations without affecting the current bus routes to maintain balance and efficiency. Also, this helps you to identify the most effective bus route.

Define school specific rider zones 

When you define school specific rider zones, you only transport riders who are eligible. This also helps in avoiding zones that pose threat to the students and ensure school bus safety.

Rearrange district boundaries

Considering the time a school bus takes to pick the students and return back to school before classes begin, rearrange the district boundaries. You can also try combined routes. This helps in cutting down fuel and fleet maintenance costs.

Use a School Bus Monitoring System

With a School Bus Tracking Software, you can get all information about a school bus like the distance travelled, fuel consumption and so on. This information can then be used to analyze the areas where you can cut down the costs.

The software also keeps track of the performance of school bus drivers. You will get to know details of deviation of school bus route, over speeding etc. This helps you in ensuring school bus safety. Also, you can take measures to improve the drivers’ performance.

Use RFID School Bus Tracking System to track students

This is one way you can ensure the safety of students in the school bus. Students can use the RFID tags attached to their school ID cards to swipe in the card reader installed in the school bus. This marks their attendance and the message will be immediately sent to parents and school authorities. This helps you in noticing whether a bus stop has been missed. Also, you can know from where a student boarded the bus and where they alighted.

Accurate routing and planning

Manual routing and planning may not work every time. Also, it may be prone to errors. You can rely on School Bus Tracking Software for automatic routing and planning. You just have to verify the school bus routes generated by the software and make necessary changes. This helps in the generation of optimized school bus routes within a short span of time. Also, you can save time and costs in terms of fuel and labour.

Seat Belts: An Extra Protection for School Bus Students?

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

For decades seat belts have been made mandatory in most of the vehicles. But, some school buses still lack seat belts. It’s amusing to realise that the most precious possession- our children,travel to school in large buses with very little protection.

The federal government’s take on the issue is “compartmentalization” — consisting of “strong, closely spaces seats with energy absorbing back seats” — helps protect children in the event of accidents without the need to buckle up.Six states have already decided to use seat belts in school buses but due to lack of funding they couldn’t implement the law.

The efforts to equipping school buses with seat belts at Massachusetts school buses have been rebuked by the Legislature for years. Practically installing seat belts in school buses can only be possible by giving schools the time to phase in seat belts and address costs.  A bill which has been sponsored by state Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford, promotes the approach, incorporating suggestions by the School Transportation Association of Massachusetts.

But, the bill is one among several in the House and one in the Senate that have stalled. Another approach which is favoured by the School Transportation Association consists of a grace period for existing buses and begin requiring belts under long-term competitively bid contracts. Adding seat belts to school buses is estimated to cost between $11,000 to $13,000 per bus.But that cost would surely just be passed on to school districts.

There are numerous practical issues that arise when it comes to installing seat belts in school buses.But, we should never look back when it’s about the safety of our little children. It’s high time that we install seat belts in school buses. 

Things Parents Can Do To Ensure School Bus Safety

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

It’s “back to school” time!

Many kids are starting school this year. So, parents will be naturally concerned about them. The feeling is no different for parents whose children study in higher classes. Their concerns start from the moment the students board the school bus in the morning. It continues until they are back in the evening.

Instead of being concerned, why not contribute to school bus safety? After all, it is not the responsibility of the school bus drivers and school authorities alone. Parents have some responsibilities as well. You can prepare your children to ride safe in the following ways:

Keep your children safe

Make sure that your child does not reach the bus stop early or too late. When they reach too early, they may have an urge to be mischievous. Also, they may rush to catch the already moving bus when they become late, which is unsafe.

Ask your children to come back home if they miss the school bus. In case they miss the bus at school, ask them to report it to any school authority. Tell them to never accept ride from a stranger.

Bus safety rules

Most schools have bus safety guidelines meant for students.  Sit down with your children and discuss about the rules together. Make the children understand the importance of following the rules.

Meet the school bus driver

It is always good to know be informed about the driver of the school bus your child commutes in. Introduce yourself and your child to the driver. Also, ask their name. This can make you less worried. Also, acquaintance with the driver can make your child feel comfortable to ask for help at times of need.

Apart from that, share these tips with your children that they should follow to ensure school bus safety:

At the bus stops

  • Stay away from the road
  • Be punctual so that you don’t have to rush when the bus reaches the stop
  • Do not board the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the brake lights are on
  • Do not rush to board the bus. Wait quietly in a line for your turn, instead
  • Do not raise your voice at the bus stop. However, you can speak quietly
  • Before you cross the road to board the bus, look both ways to ensure that there are no vehicles on the road

On the bus

  • Always follow the instructions of the school bus driver
  • Take your seat and sit properly. If the children are young, parents should ask them to sit in view of the school bus driver
  • Do not stand when the bus is moving
  • Hold school bags in your lap or place them in the areas provided on the bus
  • You can talk to your friends, but in a low voice. Do not distract the school bus driver
  • Keep your head and arms inside the bus. Do no throw anything out of the window when the bus moves
  • Do not eat while the bus is moving. You may choke on the food when the bus goes over a hump
  • Never fight, shout or play in the bus

While leaving the bus

  • Do not push or shove while getting off the bus. Let people in front of you alight first
  • Hold the handrails while boarding and alighting the bus
  • After you get off the bus, step away to a safer place, for example, a pavement, and wait until the bus leaves
  • If you want to cross the road after getting off the bus, walk at least 3 meters ahead. Then, wait for the school bus driver to signal you to cross
  • In case you drop something near the bus while getting down, do not pick it up immediately. Inform the driver first

Schools might have taken extra measures like School Bus Monitoring System to ensure school bus safety. Following the above-mentioned tips can help in strengthening it.

5 Reasons School Bus Driver Training is Important

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

 

The duties of a school bus driver do not simply end with commuting the students. Until the students travel in the school bus, their safety lies in the driver’s hands. Just driving safely doesn’t solve all school bus safety issues. There are other problems as well, that the driver has to tackle in the bus, such as student behaviour, bullying etc. That’s why it is important for schools to provide training to the drivers even if they have years of experience in driving.

The additional training that school bus drivers receive can have the following benefits:

Safe driving practices

Training them can help even the most careless drivers recognize their responsibilities. When the drivers realize that they are responsible for the lives of the students who travel in their bus, they won’t fail to drive safely. This can help in avoiding unwanted accidents and ensure the safety of students.

Maintain discipline in school buses

Not all students in a school are well-disciplined. Sometimes, their lack of discipline can lead to anomalies. An irresponsible and unfriendly bus driver can only worsen the discipline issues. Therefore, it is necessary to train the school bus drivers to deal with the discipline issues of students. The drivers should be confident enough to strictly tell the students to behave properly in the school bus. They need not be aggressive while warning the students.  Train the drivers to stay calm instead and reward the students who behave well.

Build strong bond with students

It might be hard for the school bus drivers to deal with the students if they are unfamiliar with each other. Therefore, it is necessary for the drivers to bond with the students. The drivers who are friendly and know the names of every student riding in the bus can have better control over student’s behaviour. Also, this can help the drivers to recognize and deal with the challenging behaviours easily.

Recognize threats of violence

When school bus drivers bond with the students, they may be able to easily recognize school violence threats or other dangerous issues in students. It includes issues like suicide tendencies or actions of the sort that can affect the school as well. Training the drivers can help them in recognizing such signs at the earliest. They can then report the issue to the school authorities to avoid danger.

Deal with difficult situations

There may be moments of emergency such as an accident or a student falling seriously ill and the driver is all alone with the students. To deal with such situations, the school bus drivers must be given training in first aid and CPR. This can help the drivers to put the crisis under control before summoning for help.

Training school bus drivers can help in strengthening school bus safety. Also, it can help the drivers to deal with issues that even parents fail to recognize. Being a school bus driver is a responsible job. Giving them additional training can add to the responsibilities and benefit the school.