Post by Rick (Admin) on Feb 19, 2013 10:24:23 GMT -5
Manager decides if buses run
Dan Johnston is the man many love to hate.
The operations manager for the Nipissing-Parry Sound Student Transportation Services is the one who decides whether children will get an extra long weekend or a day off school during the winter months.
As of Friday there have been nine “snow days”, which is up from five in 2011-2012.
“Everyone hates me except the kids,” said Johnston.
Weather predicting is a tough skill, but combine that with deciding whether school buses should be on the roads is an almost impossible task.
“Deciding whether to put the buses on the roads can sometimes be a difficult call to make. We just don't look out the window or sit at home watching the Weather Network and say “let's cancel the buses.””
Johnston said there's a list of criteria that has to be considered before buses are cancelled.
“Every morning around 5:30 a.m. we have a conference call with eight of our operators (across the district) to discuss road conditions and what's going on out there.”
He said buses are cancelled when visibility is less than 100 metres and when temperatures are -36C or the windchill reaches -40C.
“Buses have a hard time starting in those temperatures and we don't want kids standing outside waiting.”
Road conditions and if the area expects inclement weather within the next 10 hours are also taken into consideration.
“We're constantly tracking the weather, but things change quickly, we've been caught off guard,” Johnston said Friday morning.
“We understand parents want their children to go to school, but we have guidelines to follow. It's been a challenging winter. Safety does come first.”
The website has been a popular tool for parents waking up to find out if buses are running or are delayed.
Johnston said the site has had a few glitches, which is why information is also posted on Twitter.
“We're not considering a Facebook page because we can't control the comments. We get enough letters (with inappropriate language).”
He said the transportation consortium does receive a lot of calls from angry parents.
“The most popular question they ask is “what do I do with my children now?”
Johnston said buses may not be running, but schools remain open.
www.nugget.ca/2013/02/19/manager-decides-if-buses-run