Transport


SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL

School Transport Guide

INFORMATION LEAFLET FOR ALL SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Extracted from the Transport Guide by Peebles High School Board.

The complete Transport Guide can be accessed at the school library or through any Board member.

1. PREPARATION

1.1  Leave home in good time – the bus will not wait for you.

1.2  Follow good road safety practice walking to pick-up point and while waiting for bus.

1.3  When getting on or off the bus, pupils must be orderly and respectful to other passengers.

1.4  Pupils must always carry bus pass and board correct bus – the driver is entitled to refuse to take pupils not  allocated to that vehicle.

1.5  Pupils should get on and off the bus at their correct stops.

2. JOURNEY

2.1  Pupils must remain in their seats throughout the journey, with seatbelt, if available, done up and must not move around the bus.  Keep your own bag etc. beside you on the bus : you are responsible for it.

2.2  Do not stand on the platform adjacent to the driver and do not talk to or otherwise distract the driver while the bus is moving.

2.3  Always treat the driver and other passengers with respect.

2.4  Never throw anything within the bus, or play with the emergency door or the bells.

2.5  Any cakes etc. made at Home Economics must be kept in sealed containers while on bus.

2.6  Never leave the bus before it has fully stopped.  If the door is operated by the driver, pupils must not use the emergency controls themselves – they are provide only for emergency.

2.7  Smoking is prohibited on all school and public buses for the health of all other bus users.

2.8  Give your name and address or bus pass to the bus driver or monitor if requested to do so.


3. DISCIPLINE

3.1  Misbehaviour on a school bus is regarded in the same way as misbehaviour in school and the full range of normal sanctions is available.  The school will apply a progressive range of sanctions such as punishment exercises, detention or withdrawal of privileges, and will involve parents where disciplinary sanctions have been applied.

3.2  Serious misbehaviour may result in free transport being withdrawn for a period of time.  In that case, parents will be responsible for making travel arrangements to ensure that school attendance is maintained.

3.3  In the event of vandalism to the bus, the operator is entitled to expect financial compensation from the pupil concerned or their parents, and could report the matter to the police.

3.4  If damage is found on entry to the bus, report it IMMEDIATELY to the driver, to protect yourself.

4. SUPERVISION, BUS MONITORS AND ESCORTS

4.1  The driver’s prime responsibility is the safety of the vehicle, but he is also instructed to identify and report significant misbehaviour.

4.2  The bus monitor should report incidents of misbehaviour to senior staff.   Bus monitors should make themselves known to the driver for his or her assistance.

4.3  Effective lines of communication are established between supervising staff and bus monitors whereby drivers can report discipline problems.

4.4  A designated member of staff is identified for each bus route to oversee the operation of that route, and problems with misbehaviour should be reported to that member of staff.

5. CONTACTS

5.1  Senior staff in charge of each route are as follows:

Mr Allan         :      P1 and P4
Mr Lowe        :       P2 and P3
Ms Prophet    :      P6, P14 and minibus runs
Mr Sinclair      :      P7 and P21
Mr Clifford     :       P8 and P9
Mr Forsyth     :      P15


PLEASE REMEMBER:
SCHOOL BUS TRAVEL IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.
ALWAYS THINK “SAFETY”