Taking more than 1,200 students to class every day is no small task, and the Plymouth Community School Corporation’s transportation office is doing it while navigating a nationwide bus driver shortage, new state laws, and inattentive motorists. Transportation Director Brandon Berger shared how his office is dealing with these challenges during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
He said a lack of drivers forced the school corporation to cut two bus routes at the start of the school year, but he was able to add one back in September. A new state law now requires right-hand pickup and drop-off on state and U.S. highways outside of the city limits. Berger said all the routes were brought into compliance, and he also worked to go above and beyond the requirements by extending the effort to some other roads.
The new law also increased the penalties for stop-arm violations. While the number of violations has gone down since September, it still remains a concern. “Stop-arms, LEDs, I mean, there’s tape all over the buses. Bright yellow. There’s no excuse for not being able to see the bus,” Berger said.
He added that local police have stepped up patrols in high-risk areas, and the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office has coordinated with school officials to develop a new reporting process. Berger said seven of the corporation’s 25 bus routes currently have stop-arm cameras, and plans are in the works to increase that number.
But cameras aren’t the only piece of new technology the buses are getting. Most of them are now equipped with Zonar tablets. They give school officials the capability to track buses and, potentially, individual students. The tablets can also give turn-by-turn directions, which could be helpful for substitute drivers. They also allow for paperless bus inspections and driver time tracking.
