Driver Responsibilities
Ontario School bus drivers are held to the highest standards of safety, supervision, and preparedness considering the critical role they play in our communities. In recognition of the crucial role school bus drivers play in ensuring both passenger and the public safety, they receive hours and hours of specialized training, under the Driver Certification Program (DCP):
- Approximately 51.75 hours of training to obtain their school bus class license,
- 25 hours of the 51.75 must be in-vehicle instruction,
- Five hours of the 51.75 hours must be in-class instruction,
- Five hours of ‘flexible instructional hours including computer based instruction, in-vehicle instruction (parking lot procedures, circle check) and the possibility of driving simulator instruction,
- Additional instruction could include 10 hours for airbrake instruction (if applicable.)
- Within six months of obtaining the initial license, school bus drivers must complete a School Bus Driver Improvement Course which includes approximately 6.5 hours of instruction.
Training and instruction include: proper use of school bus equipment, daily vehicle safety inspections, safe driving techniques including defensive driving skills, procedures for loading and unloading passengers, procedures for entering and exiting school zones, student management, accident and emergency response including evacuation, First Aid/CPR ,Epi Pen training, route instructions, use of electronic communications, and much more. Drivers are also responsible for ensuring students are dropped off and picked up by authorized parent or care giver.
Transport Canada continues to state that “School buses have an excellent safety record in Canada and are the safest way to transport children to and from school.” The Ontario school bus industry holds safety as one of our key principles and continues to explore how to drive safety forward while continuing to provide service to Ontario families. School Bus Ontario sits on The Standards Council of Canada’s D-250 Committee , relating to all aspects of school bus safety.
School bus drivers are also heavily monitored by the Ministry of Transportation to ensure their driving records continue to reflect safe operating practices. Drivers must be at least 21 years of age, meet minimum vision and medical standards, have no more than eight demerit points, have a satisfactory criminal history, pass a Ministry approved School Bus Driver Improvement Course, among other requirements.
Other details on legislation and regulations can be found here.
Our drivers are highly qualified, professionals and every year we recognize Driver Excellence with our Driver Excellence awards. To learn more about the 2024 recipients of SBO’s Driver Excellence award, click here