School Travel Manager has a unique swipe card system that ensures parents and schools are aware if their children are aboard a school bus or not. But in this latest news from America, even the advantages of an up-to-date system such as School Travel Manager can be overruled if the driver wishes to do so.
Franklin Township
Recent news from Indiana in America produced shocking headlines when it was announced that two school kids were left at a school bus stop when the driver refused to let them board the vehicle.
A video from a nearby resident reportedly shows a school bus driver refusing to allow two student get on the bus as they were not already waiting for her at the stop.
The parent Mr Jacob Parham cited that his son and a friend had ran to try and catch the bus, but just as the two boys were about to board, the driver closed the doors and drove the bus away.
The concerned parent contacted the local education department, and the Franklin Township Community Schools Transportation Department to find out exactly what had happened and why the two boys were not allowed on the bus.
Transportation Policy
On enquiry following his complaint the director for the transportation for the school district said that there was a clear policy that all student had to be at the bus stop a minimum of five minutes before their pickup time.
The director also stated that Mr Parham’s son had been warned before about his tardy behaviour, and the policy had been outlined to them more than once. Mr Parham responded to this comment and said another driver stopped and picked up the two students after the first driver drove off.
The incident got more bizarre when it was made clear to the department of transport, that the two boys ran to join the back of the queue waiting at the bus stop, and when it came their turn to board the driver refused to let them on and closed the doors in their faces, then drove off.
Children’s Safety First
However, the director for transport did admit that student safety should be the first priority and students should never be left vulnerable standing at a bus stop. The director berated the driver and stated she should have handled the situation differently.
“I didn’t understand why she would do that. Her main job is to get them to school and get them to school safe,” said Parham. “Whether she has to sit there 10 seconds or two minutes, that’s what she has to do. It’s all about getting kids to school safe.”
The result of this worrying incident was that the bus driver that left the kids stranded has been disciplined and the district will ensure that she receives extra training.