School bus safety is high on the list of every Westporter’s concerns.
Well, almost everyone.
As aggravating as it is to be behind a bus that stops at what seems like every driveway, most drivers grit their teeth and ride their brakes. It’s kids we’re talking about, after all, and this is the way buses operate in today’s society.
Some drivers can’t wait. They blow past the outstretched “Stop” arms that drivers extend. Often they come from the opposite direction. Sometimes they just race past a row of cars trailing the bus.
Trailing a school bus is seldom fun.(Photo/Christie Stanger)
An “06880” reader recently chatted with a man who drives a Dattco elementary bus in Westport.
He enjoys his job very much. But when the reader noted that the job demands plenty of responsibility and patience, he said that drivers routinely ignore bus stop signs.
He said that just a few weeks ago, a speeding driver nearly hit a young girl. Her father yanked her back, as the car came near.
And, the driver continued, following up on incidents is a process. Video is reviewed by police. Then the driver must take half a day off to testify in court — losing pay, and other incentive compensation given for consecutive days on the job.
(Photo/Amy Schneider)
The driver’s perception is that even when the process works, if it’s a first offense there are seldom significant consequences for offending drivers.
That sounds pretty bad for Dattco, Westport’s school bus company.
But it’s not true.
I contacted Bryony Chamberlain, the company’s vice president. She said that any employee asked to go to court gets paid by the company.
She added that there are forms for drivers to fill out whenever their bus is passed by a vehicle. Dattco then sends the forms to local police departments, who mail a ticket for a $475 fine to offenders.
“I don’t know what happens after that,” Chamberlain said. “We don’t have a way to follow up.”
My next call was to Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas. He confirmed what Chamberlain said.
There are 3 types of complaints about motorists passing school buses: from the bus drivers themselves; from other witnesses, and from police officers who sometimes follow school buses for just that reason.
The police contact the driver to hear their side. In almost every case, Koskinas said, a ticket follows.
The reader who contacted “06880” about school bus safety recalled a tragedy from the 1990s, which led to changes in policies.
It seems that Dattco, and Westport Police, are doing their part to ensure that every child gets on and off the bus safely.
Now it’s up to every driver to do the same.
We stop for deer. Let’s stop for school buses too. (Photo/Paul Delano)
