As new technologies become available, school buses will continue to provide the safest transportation possible. There are additional safety features that are not visible such as the strengthened steel beams which run the length of a school bus and a steel cage around the fuel tank. Transport Canada is responsible for setting school bus safety standards and making the vehicles easily identifiable with the "chrome yellow" prescribed colour, emergency exits, the overhead flashing lights, stop arm, and crossing gate. School buses must meet structural standards for crash protection, fire retardancy, and emergency evacuation. School buses are subject to extensive construction and equipment standards on a larger scale than any other road vehicle. The Record of Duty Status logbook makes it easy for drivers, their employers, and the CVSE to track their hours and determine compliance. The number of hours a school bus driver can drive and be on-duty in a day, and over a seven day period, is monitored to ensure fatigue does not compromise the safety of passengers. The results of the inspection are reported to the driver and the school bus company and can affect the operator's rating. The inspections are unannounced and are routine checks. Unlike other kinds of commercial vehicles, they typically take place at the intended destination rather than at the roadside. School buses are subject to roadside safety inspections. In addition to regular mechanical maintenance and daily vehicle inspections by the driver, a government licensed CVSE office will perform at least one inspections each year on every school bus in British Columbia. Collisions, inspections, and convictions, as well as the results of facility audits influence the Safety Rating. Vehicles maintenance files are also inspected to ensure they are compliant with legislated standards, daily/annual vehicle inspection records are in order, and driver records and logbooks have been filled out properly.ĬVSE determines a Carrier Safety Rating for each school bus operator based on performance. Facility audits, carrier safety ratings, annual inspections and spot checks are performed to ensure school bus companies operate with the highest integrity.ĭuring a facility audit, school bus operators are measured against their stated maintenance policies. The Ministry of Transportation's Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE) monitors school bus operators throughout the province. Failing to stop can result in heavy fines and demerit points.
Motorists must not proceed until the bus moves or the lights have stopped flashing.
School bus operators must comply with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard D250, a prescriptive manufacturing standard that school buses must be built and maintained to throughout the service life of a school bus.ĭivision 11 of the Motor Vehicle act regulations helps keep children safe by requiring motorists to stop when a school bus is stopped with its overhead red signal-lights flashing. To operate in British Columbia, school districts and other school bus operators must follow the laws and regulations that apply to the operation of commercial vehicles (trucks and buses), which includes, but is not limited to: Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings Legislation and Regulation The Association of School Transportation Services of British Columbia believes that the safety and personal security of the over 110,000 children who ride the bus to and from home to school is the first priority of student transportation. According to Transport Canada, the school bus is the safest mode of transportation for children because of provincial legislation and regulation, vehicle design and construction, fleet inspections and maintenance practices, operational policies and procedures, and driver qualifications.
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