First school bus rodeo for drivers

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This article was published 22/10/2016 (3441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SOURIS — It was a much quieter bus ride than usual for Bob Riddle as he drove his school bus down the highway on Friday, simulating drop-offs and pick-ups along the way.

The route was part of Southwest Horizon School Division’s first-ever school bus rodeo, a day for bus drivers to refresh on safety and practice their driving skills.

Without the 19 kids on the bus that Riddle usually collects on his route in Wawanesa, the squeaks and rattles of the bus were noticeable as it bumps — safely — over one of the railway crossings he needed to pass.

“I’ve been doing this for about five or six years … I needed to do something different,” Riddle said, waving to one of the scorekeepers at a checkpoint. “It’s been really good.”

The school division is required to do a seminar for the professional development of school bus drivers every year, said Glynn Warnica, operations supervisor with Southwest Horizon School Division. This year, they decided to have a little fun with it.

“It’s a little friendly competition with each other, but more so with themselves,” Warnica said. “It’s something they do every day, and this gives them the opportunity to do it on a set course … They can look at their skills and see what they need to work on.”

After navigating through the on-road course, stopping at several stations along the way, drivers then went through an off-road course, weaving around and between narrowly placed pylons and obstacles to get to the finish line. They were scored based on how safely they get through the course.

Drivers up for a challenge took on the ‘redneck rodeo’ — a course set up for a special bus with a crossing arm fastened to the front. The driver needed to go around and use the front mirrors on the bus while seeing how many tires they could pick up on the crossing arm.

“I watched one of our drivers finish the course and when she stopped … both her arms went up (in celebration) and that’s pretty cool to see,” Warnica said.

A portion of the day was spent in the classroom, where drivers receive defensive driving training, medical training, and a question and answer opportunity with the RCMP.

“An event like this just proves you can marriage that safety aspect and have a little bit of fun at the same time,” said Kevin Zabowski, secretary-treasurer at Southwest Horizon School Division. “It really is fantastic, and it coincides perfectly with bus safety week.”

Making sure both bus drivers, and the motoring public are aware of safety procedures is a main priority, Warnica said.

“Our bus drivers need to stop and pick up students on highways, and they also stop traffic where there’s a lot more transport truck traffic, so keeping the students safe is something they face every day,” Warnica said.

Being able to get hands-on and practice is part of what makes the rodeo a success, Zabowski said.

“They’re having fun and they’re learning. That’s all you can ask for.”

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