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
Evaluation
- Reviews school divisions' pupil transportation systems and recommends improvements
- Reviews school building site plans to ensure bus loop designs comply with industry standards
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 past chair 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.
