You ask yourself this question and we are here to answer it. Be aware that the safety of your children is our priority. For that, we work in partnership with our drivers and our families to ensure the safest school transportation.
We encourage you to view the following bus safety video:
Code of conduct inside the bus
1- Never eat or drink while in the bus.
2- Board the bus calmly. Use the handrail when boarding and disembarking the bus.
3- Take your seat immediately.
Sit properly and remain seated facing the front at all times.
4- Always remain seated while the bus is in motion.
5- Windows are only for looking outside,
never stick or throw anything out the window.
Never put an arm, a leg or your head out of a window.
6- Speak in a calm and quiet voice to avoid distracting the driver and other students.
Make the least amount of noise as possible.
7- Use only respectful and polite language at all times.
8- Keep your hands to yourself - never push or shove other riders.
9- Obey the driver at all times and cooperate immediately.
10- Always respect others and their belongings.
11- Keep your personal objects for yourself - never throw anything in the bus.
12- No sales or/and solicitations on the bus will be tolerated.
13- Respect the rules at all times.
VANDALISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
The First Riders Safety Program
Every year, the CSCN invites students from kindergarten to grade 3 to participate in the First Riders safety program. This program is offered (in Edmonton) in August, before the first day of school, in the Northlands parking lot. To find out about the safety rules in effect for all school bus users, please carefully read the safety section of our Frequently Asked Questions.
When school bus lights are flashing
Please note that in Alberta flashing lights are used in rural areas and only in some urban centres. When these are used, you must absolutely respect the following rules:
- Watch out for flashing yellow lights, it means a school bus is slowing down to stop where students will get on or off the bus.
- Slow down and stop when the school bus activates its flashing red lights. This means that you must stop if you are approaching or following an oncoming bus. (The only exception to this rule is when the bus is on the opposite side of a two-way highway that is physically divided by a median.)
- Proceed only when the red lights on the bus have stopped flashing.
We remind you to watch for school buses picking up and dropping off children, even if the lights are not flashing, and be on the lookout for children crossing the road.
Please consult the school bus safety guidelines by clicking here to review with your child how to cross the street when the bus doesn't use its red flashing lights in large urban centers, or when the bus uses the red flashing lights in rural areas or small towns and cities.
Pouches with student passes for students from kindergarten to grade 2
What are the pouches on the students' backpacks used for?
The pouches contain a pass that identifies students in Kindergarten through grade 2 only. They are used, among other things, to remind the driver which student should not be dropped off without the presence of an adult at the stop. They are also used to help students, if they are too embarrassed to speak or if they do not know where to get off or which bus to take. The pass and the pouch are given to the student, at school, on his first day of class. It is important that the pass is inserted in the pouch and changed when necessary. The pouch should be attached in a visible place on the outside of the backpack. For more information on the types of pouches, please click here.
Evacuation drill
Usually, the safest place for passengers is to stay on the bus in an emergency situation, but the following three situations require the students to evacuate the bus:
- Fire
- Fire hazard
- Dangerous position on bus is situated in a danger zone
This is why we conduct two bus evacuation drills per school year, one in the fall and one in the spring.
According to Transport Canada, school bus travel remains the safest mode of transportation to and from schools. It is 16 times safer than the family car. To maintain this level of safety, motorists must also do their part.