Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
For the third year, bylaw and Cardinal Coach Lines have teamed up to look at drivers, buses, routes and other traffic in the city relating to transporting school-aged kids to and from school and home.
 Const. Arnie Smith sits with Jaden Nixon across from Kayla Modeste on a ride-along. - Dawn Ostrem/NNSL photo |
Const. Arnie Smith took on the assignment of riding the eight school buses along their full routes, packed with energetic kids over the last week.
"It went very well," he said. "All eight were very safety conscious."
Smith filled out forms and handed them to Cardinal manager Troy Bowden at the end of the week, without much to say about what needs to be improved.
"The majority of drivers have been here for a few years," he said. "I would say there could possibly be some improvement but there is not a lot of room for improvement."
The only suggestion Smith had was the recommendation that drivers stop further back of the stop-line at intersections.
Mostly, he added, drivers put up extremely well in a high-stress job as children pour up and down the school bus steps as the doors pop open, filter into the long bus corridor and onto the red, plastic-covered seats.
"Some (people) are not the type that can cope with Johnny doing this and that and still drive the bus safely," explained Bowden.
He said it takes someone with intense patience and concentration.
Most are parents who receive in-house training at Cardinal. One is an ex-military officer.
His bus is the quietest and infamous among the bus-taking society of students.
Kids riding the eight buses in Yellowknife are students in kindergarten through Grade 8.
Yellowknife municipal enforcement is also reminding drivers to obey school zone regulations and drive carefully around school buses.
