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.