|
By Gillian Beckett
Staff Reporter
|
Parents in the Priddis area are disappointed with a decision made by the Foothills
School Division regarding the transportation safety of their children.
Back in February of this year, parents Ann Warner and Alison Howden approached the
division board with some concerns regarding the school bus pick-up/drop-off for their
children.
One of the main concerns addressed by Warner and Howden was the large size of the
school bus being used and its inability to maneuver around one of the two turnaround
areas on the bus route.
The turnaround area, currently being used by the school bus driver, involves the
bus entering a treed driveway and backing up onto a country road, which has both
parents alarmed.
'Backing out a bus is ridiculous,' said Warner. 'Especially when the driver can't
see what's behind the bus (when backing out).'
The other turnaround site is an area near the Warner property which was specifically
constructed by the MD of Foothills for a bus turnaround.
Warner explained the MD turnaround is considerably safer because the driver's line
of sight is not impeded by trees and the bus would not have to back out onto a road.
'All the bus driver has to do (with the MD turnaround) is a three-point-turn,' said
Warner.
However, the school division maintains that safety issues also surround the MD turnaround.
According to a letter sent to Warner and Howden by superintendent David Lynn, the
turnaround poses a danger because of its location in front of a blind corner.
In addition, the letter also addressed a concern of the bus backing up near an overhang
with a steep slope.
'If a driver misjudged the distance to the edge of the road, serious damage could
occur to a bus that slipped over the edge,' wrote Lynn.
While Warner and Howden suggested to the school division that the size of the 72-passenger
bus was a factor in maneuvering the MD turnaround, Lynn contended that bus size was
not a factor.
Although the school bus being used was later exchanged for a smaller 66-passenger
bus, Warner said that an even smaller 60-passenger bus should be used.
'There is no need to have a bus on our route bigger than 60 passengers,' said Warner.
'It's not like the bus is full.'
According to school division secretary-treasurer Murray Lloyd, there are no buses
of a 60-passenger capacity that are available for use in the Red Deer Lake area.
While Warner and Howden recommend that a smaller bus and the MD turnaround be utilized,
the school division disagrees and decided at the regular board meeting held on June
2 that the current turnaround remain in use for the upcoming school year.
'I am so surprised that the (division) board is not willing to compromise,' said
Warner. 'We can see both sides to this . . . no matter where our kids will be dropped
off, it presents a safety problem.'
'It boils down to the bus driver not using the MD turnaround when the MD can make
the turnaround safer,' she added.
Nonetheless, both Warner and Howden are considering to have their children change
schools in order to have them placed on a safer bus route.
 |