Requirements And Training Programs For School Bus Drivers

This report will be of interest to managers of public transportation and school bus systems, transportation planning and operations professionals, policy makers, and others interested in the potential for coordinating or integrating school bus and public transportation services in non-urban areas. The report identifies and discusses issues associated with such coordination or integration, and provides 13 case studies of communities that have successfully coordinated or integrated some aspect of school and public transportation services. The report also provides an implementation guide that suggests "next steps" for non-urban communities seeking to give serious consideration to the coordination or integration of school and public transportation services.

This instructor's manual was designed to help graduates of the California Bus Driver Instructor Course provide effective instruction to school bus driver trainees. It contains enough material for 20-30 hours of classroom training. The information is organized in 12 instructional units that cover the following topics: introduction to the course; driver's license and special certificate requirements; bus operation, use, laws, and regulations; vehicle components; general defensive driving techniques; specialized defensive driving techniques; passenger loading and unloading; emergency procedures; passenger management; activity trips; the special needs passenger; and public and community relations. Each unit includes an outline of the lesson plans in it, notes to the instructor, content information, handouts, and pretests and unit test. A final unit of the guide provides additional information for the instructor on teaching the course, such as materials needed to conduct classes, classroom arrangement, lesson planning and teaching techniques, and tests and answer keys. (KC)