A school bus driver is responsible for providing safe transportation for children to and from school. It is therefore important that they not only do their job well but also do it properly. Here are 10 ways you can become a great school bus driver.
Properly maintain your vehicle
Like any other vehicle, you need to service and maintain a school bus regularly to avoid a sudden breakdown. This includes the management of your passenger seating area. If you have damaged or unsafe seats installed, it could lead to safety concerns for your passengers. A school bus driver needs to ensure their vehicle is functional and its components (such as its seats) are updated and safe.
Be a good driver and follow traffic rules
For anyone, it is important to be a good driver on the road. This is even more so for a school bus driver, as you are carrying precious passengers. A great school bus driver should follow the traffic rules strictly and be experienced in driving buses.
Be courteous and patient with kids
Being a school bus driver, you’re without a doubt going to have to deal with children. You must be courteous to the children and patient with them. You are an adult they will see often and will be used as a viewpoint by them on how to act.
Know your vehicle and its limits
A bus is a large vehicle, and you have to know where its boundaries lie. A great school bus driver can maneuver on the road and around schools without stress and know when they can or can’t reach an area. Sometimes it’s better to take the long route rather than risking a route that could endanger your passengers.
Stay calm and be respectful
It is a common occurrence nowadays for road rage to occur. While driving, a school bus driver should remain calm and not become agitated over things such as traffic, people not driving properly on the road, or their passengers becoming too loud. They should also be respectful to other drivers on the road.
Know your route and be flexible in case situations change
A good school bus driver should know their route and the surrounding roadways like the back of their hand. It should become like an auto-pilot to them. That being said, situations may arise where this route becomes inaccessible. They should be flexible in these scenarios and be able to find a new route to take using their knowledge of the surrounding roads.
Ensure your passengers enter and exit the vehicle safely
Since school bus drivers are transporting children, it is clear that they are getting passengers to and from school, from either their homes or the station. A great school bus driver should make sure that all students enter and exit their bus safely and reach their final location.
Make safety your top priority
Every driver for any automated vehicle should prioritise safety while driving. Not only for their sakes, but the sakes of their passengers, other drivers on the road, and pedestrians. This is just as important, or even more so, for school bus drivers. School students are young and have many years to look forward to. You should make sure to drive safely to keep your student passengers safe and remain so after they have exited your vehicle to avoid hitting any student pedestrians near the bus.
Have strong leadership qualities
As a school bus driver, you are responsible for all the students who are travelling on board. You must possess the confidence to direct the bus and make quick decisions when necessary, keeping the passengers’ well-being in mind.
Get to the garage or lot on time after your shift
Every school has a rule that the bus must return to the garage after school hours. Bus drivers must abide by this rule and ensure that they reach the designated lot on time without taking too many personal detours or just drifting around as they please.
