Responsibility

School Bus Vehicles

• Oversees the purchase of new school bus vehicles via a central tender process
• Liaison between school divisions and school bus and equipment manufacturers
• Inspects new school bus units for defects and ensures correction before delivery to school divisions
• Performs research and development on new school bus equipment
• Provides school divisions with school bus regulatory information and ensures compliance with regard to school bus vehicle operations
• Maintains and monitors a school bus "failed materials" database
• Maintains a school bus accident database

School Bus Driver Certification

• Issues School Bus Operator Certificates and maintains a provincial school bus driver registry

Training

• Conducts School Bus Driver Instructor Seminars and certifies participants who successfully complete the three phases of instruction
• Coordinates seminars geared to school bus mechanics
• At school divisions' requests, participate in school bus driver inservice sessions
• Publishes the School Bus Drivers' Handbook and School Bus Driver Instructor's Handbook
• Develops resource material used for school bus driver training and student ridership training

Transportation System Reviews

The Pupil Transportation Unit (PTU) conducts school bus transportation system reviews in Manitoba school divisions.  These reviews began in 1998 in response to recommendations contained in “The Rubin Report” (an inquiry held into the death of a seven year old student who was run over by his school bus). 

During a review, PTU staff assess the following areas of a school division’s transportation system:

                A. Administration and Management
                B. The Pupil
                C. The Public: Parents and Patrons
                D. The School Bus Driver
                E. The School Bus Vehicle
                F. The School Bus Maintenance Program

Information is gathered through discussions with various school division personnel; meetings with drivers; examination of current policy; questionnaires to school principals; questionnaires to grade 4 students to assess their ridership knowledge; inspection of a division’s school bus fleet and maintenance facilities; observation of current maintenance procedures; and by monitoring and videotaping loading/unloading practices and procedures at schools, and following school buses during their morning and afternoon routes.

From January 1998 to the end of 2008, 35 school division reviews have been conducted.   

Liaison/Committees

• Liaises with Driver Licensing - a division of Manitoba Public Insurance - regarding school bus and school bus driver issues that overlap with The Highway Traffic Act
• PTU's Senior Field Officer is a member of the Canadian Standards Association's (CSA) D-250 Technical Committee on School Buses - a national committee who's mandate is to develop Canadian safety standards for school bus vehicles.