INEXCUSABLE (lack of) SERVICE FOR...
I have been trying to contact this company this morning, but cannot get through so far. The school bus was over one hour late this morning! Leaving children waiting endlessly (especially in the winter!) is inexcusable! We pay nearly $200 a yr for this horrible service?! My son has already missed school more than once because of this poor bussing service. This morning, thankfully, another bus saw him waiting for so long, and picked him up out of kindness. I was searching frantically for my son when his regular bus called me (1 hr later) to say he wasn't around. I think I will pass this review onto the Edmonton newspapers-Iam SO outraged- along with many other parents.
Comments
Your child had to wait an hour for the bus? Goodness! that's just awful!
Yes, not just that he waited over an hour, but I had no idea he had gotten on a different school bus-& neither did his regular bus have any notification of this! I was running around the neighborhood frantically in my pajamas with my toddler at my side searching for my 12yr old son. I finally got through (via phone)to his school & he had arrived on a different bus. On more than 3 occassions the Edmonton school buses (Briggs) have been over one hour late, & as I recently found out, my sons school has filed previous complaints against this bussing company.
That's so scary! You must have been freaking out.. I would have too.
You poor lady, not to mention your poor darling son! That is absolutely inexcusable, waiting an hour for the bus!
I mean, if this was the one time it had ever happened, everyone realizes that sometimes, on a very,very rare occasion, that a bus can be late for some unexpected incident but like you've said, this isn't the first time!!
I'm not sure how the education system works in Alberta but being in Ontario & taking on the School Board from time to time (I have a son with autism), what I've done is contact the particular agencies funding source as well as our elected school trustees. This is of course, after following the chain of command (our school board is allllllllll about following 'protocol', including going up the chain of command. However, when I didn't get anywhere, this was the action I then followed!)
As well, I wholeheartedly agree that you need to contact the papers in your area, your local politicians, write letters to your paper editorials (Most papers have a section such as "Letters to the Editor",etc). You'll probably find that once this gets out in public, there will be a tonne of outraged parents but they weren't aware that there were parents out there, feeling exactly the same way!!
It's awful that never mind being 'insanely busy' as a parent, you said, of not only a 12 yr old but a toddler, that you have to spend this much time trying to get this problem solved. If you're up to the challenge, I sincerely encourage you to take on 'the system'. I can't even begin to imagine the horror/terror you must've gone thru; all the thoughts going thru your head as you were frantically searching for your son!! Thank heavens you found him safe & sound!!! I'm so sorry to hear that you had to go thru something like this!!
If u need any further advice on how to contact the right people(I don't know whom to contact but can just give you advice on what we've done in our own Province), don't hesitate to contact me, I'd be more than happy to share with you, what we've done in the past.
We've had many scary incidents happen with our bussing system here in Thunder Bay, including having a poor little 4 year old die on a school bus, apparently being choked by her neck warmer becuz there's no supervision on buses, to Junior Kindergartners being dropped off @ the wrong house, to the same scenario that you've gone thru with your son! So, luckily, I'm able to drive my 12 yr old to school. With my 9 yr old son, the one with autism, he has his own private bus that takes him back & forth from school, thankfully!
Sorry for such a long response but this is a very,very important issue!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with the rest of us all! I pray that you never, ever have to go thru something like this ever again!
Wow. That is crazy that the child waited for so long.
I am a driver for Briggs (now First Student), and while I completely understand how frustrating and how angry the situation has made you, the onus cannot be placed completely on the company.
Edmonton has had a severe worker shortage, as I am sure you know. This also includes a shortage of bus drivers. We are paid very well, but that isn't enough when there are simply more positions to fill in this city than there are people to fill them.
When there is a bus driver shortage, inevitably there will be delays getting some students to schools. Every driver I know will gladly pick up a 2nd (or 3rd!) route when we are done our regular route. I have missed appointments to pick up students and get them to school after I am done my regular route, because I know how important it is that the children get to school.
If a driver has a family emergency (we have families too) or becomes ill, and has to miss a day of work, someone has to cover that route. When we are short drivers as it is, those children will be late getting to school. But the commitment is there to get them to school, and the driver shortage issue is not specific to Briggs/First Student, but also to every other yellow bus company in the city.
Our company has stringent safety guidelines, we receive regular refresher training and have some of the best drivers around. The drivers I know are committed to their work and love what they do. It is unfortunate that you have had such a negative experience with the company and feel that the cost of the bus is too much for the "service" you are receiving. I know I personally could not get my child to and from school for less than $1 a day if I were driving them myself, and if I were receiving a heavily subsidized rate for transportation (because the school board and taxes cover the majority of the cost of transportation), I would be a little more understanding of the other factors at involved here.