SCHOOL BUS ONTARIO 2014 Message
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ONTARIO SCHOOL BUS ASSOCIATION SCHOOLNOVEMBER 2014 • VOLUME 23 BUS SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS – TRUE PROFESSIONALS MESSAGES FROM THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION SAFELY CROSSING THE TRACKS THE DRIVE TO LEAD OTHERS CONQUERING DISTRACTIONS XXX xxx fp CMYK placement instructions p. 2 704198_Girardin.indd 1 8/22/14 10:55 PM XXX xxx fp CMYK placement instructions p. 3 701227_Collins.indd 1 8/16/14 5:17 PM SCHOOLBUS NOVEMBER 2014 VOLUme 23 ONTARIO SCHOOL BUS ASSOCIATION For school councils, home and school associations, trustees, administrators contents and providers of student transportation services. 5 Message from Leslie Cross, 14 Safely Crossing the Tracks The Ontario School Bus Association OSBA President (OSBA) is a non-profit association providing advocacy and education services for the 16 ACET Trains for First Aid… owners of school bus fleets, school boards/ 6 OSBA Directors 2014-2015 and Confidence transportation consortia and supplier/ manufacturer companies across Ontario for over 60 years. Membership is voluntary; our 8 Messages from the Minister of 18 Conquering Distractions: Mind on the Board of Directors are all volunteers elected by their peers. Transportation and the Minister Driving, Eyes on the Road and Hands of Education on the Wheel MISSION, VISION & VALUES Every one of the 825,000 children aboard an Ontario school bus deserves to arrive at school safe, secure, on time and ready School Bus Drivers – Twinkle Twinkle Little Light…Rooftop 10 20 to learn. True Professionals Strobe Lights on School Buses OSBA Mission To support and enhance the success of 12 Rural Consortia Takes Proactive 21 Be Seen, Be Safe Program our members in the competitive world of Approach with Enroute school busing. OSBA Vision Evacuation Drill 22 The Drive to Lead Others An economically healthy and sustainable industry, safely and reliably serving the 13 Industry Leader – Training Video 24 Education, Information and growing needs of student transportation for Special Needs Passengers Networking Opportunities that Benefit in Ontario. OSBA Values Evacuation the School Bus Industry • Contribute to student success • Focus on cost effective and efficient operations 26 Index to Advertisers • Commit to continuous improvement • Embrace diversity in our workplaces • Make a significant contribution to a greener Ontario • Anticipate and influence the future shape of the school bus industry Published annually by: Published for: Editor: Laurie J. Blake Ontario School Bus Association Group Publisher: Angela Caroyannis 3401 Wolfedale Road, Project Manager: Kim Davies Mississauga, ON L5C 1V8 Sales Manager: Bill McDougall 1630 Ness Avenue, Suite 300 Tel: (416) 695-9965 Fax: (416) 695-9977 Advertising Director: Maria Antonation Winnipeg, MB R3J 3X1 Email: [email protected] Advertising Sales: Bill Biber, Austen Hoey, Tel: (800) 665-2456 www.osba.on.ca Wayne Jury, Michael McDonald, Maya Wisher Fax: (204) 947-2047 Marketing: Katie Doerksen www.naylor.com Layout & Design: Barry Senyk Association Director: Michele O’Bright Magazine Coordinator: Donna Shepherd ©2014 Naylor (Canada) Inc. Safety & Legislation Consultant: Publication Agreement All rights reserved. The contents of this publication David Carroll Number: 40064978 may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in Government Relations Consultant: PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2014/ part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. Richard Donaldson SBU-A0014/4198 4 SCHOOL BUS ONTARIO 2014 MESSAgE Message from LESLIE CROSS President, Ontario School Bus Association (OSBA) s I sit down to write this message, it is now the end of second week of the 2014-2015 school year. Approximately 825,000 students have been transported safely to and from school for 9 days in row. In a short two weeks, the A dedicated professionals who accept the tremendous responsibility for our children’s safety have had more than 15 million opportunities to make a difference in a family’s life. By the end of this school year, Ontario’s professional school bus drivers will have had over 350 million personal interactions with our children. Getting it wrong just once can have a devastating impact on a child, a family, and a community. The dedicated women and men who make up the Ontario school bus industry are committed to getting it right every time. For more than 60 years the school bus industry has been In more recent years, school boards were brought part of ongoing change and evolution. New technology together to form Transportation Consortia in order to has provided us with safer buses. Buses with stop arms, amalgamate transportation requirements, maximize effi- warning lights, crossing gates, stop arm cameras, video ciencies and minimize costs for two or more school boards surveillance cameras, GPS tracking systems, motion detec- in one geographic region. Through these amalgamations, tors and child check systems. The industry has advanced in Consortia did an excellent job of sharing the availability of driver training programs, driver licence checks, criminal one bus to service two or more boards. They successfully records vetting, medical records screening and ongoing reduced the number of vehicles needed, reducing costs driver evaluations. All of these safety initiatives have for taxpayers and reducing our environmental footprint. increased the cost of service, but who would argue that A win-win for all Ontarians. these were not valuable enhancements for the sole purpose In 2010, the Ontario provincial government intro- of protecting the safety of our children? duced The Broader Public Sector Accountability Act In Ontario, we have an enviable record when it comes (BPSAA). This change to the law required all publicly to student transportation safety, and we are proud of that funded expenditures by public entities, such as school record. To get it right 100% of the time “takes a village”. In boards/transportation consortia, which exceed $100,000, order to achieve the level of safe, reliable, on-time service be competitively procured. Industry stakeholders partici- upon which parents can depend, we rely on our front-line pated in numerous consultations, studies and pilot projects drivers, driver trainers, safety supervisors, dispatchers, to prepare the industry for this fundamental change. In mechanics, route planners, managers, Consortia staff, light of this significant shift towards greater account- school boards, principals, teachers, administrators, trustees, ability and transparency, a number of “growing pains” Ministries of Transportation and Education. All of these have been encountered across the industry with some people share one incredible quality – their dedication to companies deciding to exit the industry or to no longer continuously improving safety. conduct business in certain regions. Our duty of care and safety remains the cornerstone Notwithstanding this enormous paradigm shift, school of transporting children to school each day. In recent boards have a long history of working hand-in-hand with years a lot of time and energy has been invested into how school bus operators to design and deliver routes that trans- school bus services are purchased in Ontario. Historically, port students to school safety and ready to learn. OSBA’s school bus operators negotiated a common contract with mandate continues to work towards building partnerships local school boards. Operators and the business manag- with all school boards/transportation consortia to ensure ers from the school boards worked together to understand that student safety remains at the top of all agendas. the costs associated with providing the services that the The process of procuring school bus transportation is district required. The costs associated with ongoing safety not about low cost, at any cost. It is paramount to always enhancements, including professional driver development ensure efficiency and effectiveness; however, all stake- and the ongoing general costs for buses, wages and fuel holders including the Provincial government, Ministry of were well understood and negotiated collectively. Education, school boards, transportation consortia and SCHOOL BUS ONTARIO 2014 5 OSBA DIRECTORS 2014-2015 bus operators, must continue to understand and appreciate President, Les Cross the true cost of delivering this safe, essential service. The Stock Transportation Ltd. 128 Wellington St. W., Barrie, ON L4N 1K9 enviable safety record of the industry cannot be comprised. Tel. (705) 737-9847 ext. 52004 It is imperative to move forward in developing a procure- [email protected] ment system that is fair and transparent and recognizes the Vice-President, Mark Begg importance of supporting professional school bus drivers Delaney Bus Lines Ltd. and the professional school bus operators who reinvest in 16935 County Road 43, Avonmore, ON K0C 1C0 (613) 346-2511 their people and their fleets to keep students safe every day. [email protected] OSBA has been advocating a positive solution for many Treasurer, Chris Harwood years. The Board of Directors of the Ontario School Bus Student Transportation Canada Association, under the leadership of Past President Perry 160 Saunders Rd., Unit 6, Barrie, ON L4N 9A4 Ferguson, has worked tirelessly to educate the leadership of Tel. (705)-721-2626 ext. 1 Ontario on the importance of reevaluating the competitive [email protected] procurement of student transportation services and review- Past President, Perry Ferguson Voyageur Transportation Services ing the funding that is allocated to the school bus industry. 573