Your Opinion: School bus drivers praised

Dear Editor:

February marks Love the Bus month, the American School Bus Council's annual recognition of school bus drivers across the country who dedicate themselves to providing safe transportation each and every day. At First Student, we want to take this opportunity to thank our local drivers for their hard work and commitment to safely transporting the students of Jefferson City Public Schools. We recognize the tremendous responsibility we have to ensure student safety, and we'd like to thank the community for their continued support and trust in us.

The yellow school bus is one of the safest forms of transportation on the road today. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are 13 times safer than passenger cars. Highly trained drivers and a regular maintenance program are just a few reasons why buses have excellent safety records.

At First Student, our drivers participate in an extensive training program. Each of our drivers must undergo more than 50 hours of behind-the-wheel and in-classroom training on such topics as bus safety and student behavioral management before ever transporting any students. Our drivers also participate in monthly in-service meetings to discuss important safety procedures.

In addition, our buses undergo a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure they are operating at peak condition. All buses have regularly scheduled and ongoing vehicle maintenance checks. Each driver also conducts a daily multi-point inspection of his bus using the latest technology before beginning his route.

At First Student, the safety and security of the students we transport is our core value, and we salute each of our drivers for his focus and commitment.

We also want to thank you for supporting our drivers and allowing us to be your school transportation provider.