Southland Transportation honoured Cochrane and area school bus drivers May 1 at the Griffin Road yard. Hot grub was served up on a sunny Monday lunch hour in celebration of the fourth annual School Bus Driver Appreciation Day to some 50 drivers.
Southland Transportation honoured Cochrane and area school bus drivers May 1 at the Griffin Road yard.
Hot grub was served up on a sunny Monday lunch hour in celebration of the fourth annual School Bus Driver Appreciation Day to some 50 drivers.
It was a nice touch for first-year Southland driver Chris Andrade, a Cochrane resident and family man.
“There’s a really good community of drivers, ” said the father of three-year-old, Holden, and six-year-old, Naveed, who fell into the line of work after making the joint decision with his wife that she would grind out the Calgary commute while he cared for their young children and earned a supplementary income.
After 22 years in the IT business - the last 10 of which were spent in the oil and gas sector - Andrade faced a layoff roughly one year ago. He was one of tens of thousands who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn.
The Andrades made the conscious choice to avoid “ridiculous child care expenses ” and by end of summer 2016, Chris put on his bus driver hat and took his turn behind the wheel.
Chris said Holden loves to sit behind his dad during bus routes and the older children often entertain him. For the Andrades it’s a “good fit ” and Southland has been a “good organization to work for. ”
While not surprised that a school bus company has a safety-first mantra, Chris did say he realized how everything revolves around the extensive safety piece once he started driving himself - taking note of the extensive training regime.
“I can’t say it’s an easy job … it does require a lot of patience, ” he said, advising others looking to become a school bus driver to “make sure you are confident in your driving skills in all weather conditions. ”
He said he would like to see the word spread on how many people still don’t stop for buses with their flashers on - a huge safety concern for children getting on and off the bus and crossing the road.
“It’s a bid red stop sign and flashing lights - you need to stop your vehicle. ”
Southland has around 160 drivers in the Cochrane area.
“This day is dedicated to recognizing school bus drivers across Alberta for their heroic responsibility of safely transporting children, our most precious cargo, to and from schools each day, ” said Pamela Deadmarsh, Southland spokesperson in a recent press release.
“The Student Transportation Association of Alberta, student transportation companies, and school boards have been actively petitioning the Alberta Government to officially designate the first Monday in May as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. ”
