• Stand away from the road on the sidewalk, grassy area or nearby driveway until the bus arrives.
• Stay off snowbanks to avoid sliding underneath the bus.
• Board the bus in a single file, with-out pushing, and hold the handrail.
• Be respectful of private property located near the bus stop. Do not run or play on the property.
• If the stop is located at a driveway or laneway, stand at the end of the laneway to wait. Do not approach parked cars or run on the laneway. Move out of the way if a home-owner is trying to leave their property.
• Do not sit on the curb. Drivers cannot see you.
• When the bus arrives, stand back from the curb and line up.
• Board the bus in a single file, and hold the handrail.
• If you must cross the road to get on the bus, wait until the bus has stopped; look both ways to make sure all the cars have stopped, too; look at the driver and wait for the signal to cross; stay well in front of the bus so the driver can see you… WALK, don’t run!
• There is no eating or drinking allowed on the bus.
• Use a quiet indoor voice—Loud screaming and yelling are distracting for the driver.

BUS RIDER RAP  

I sit on the seat
With my feet in the gap
My back is on the back
And my backpack’s on my lap

• Stay in your seat until the bus has stopped.
• Walk to the front of the bus and hold the handrail to get down the stairs.
• Only get off at your own stop. If you are not sure where your stop is, ask the driver.
• Once you get off the bus, walk straight to the shoulder of the road or sidewalk. Remember the Danger Zone.
• If you need to cross the road after you get off, take 10 big steps along the curb to the front of the bus; look both ways to make sure all the cars have stopped; look at the driver and wait for the signal to cross; stay well in front of the bus so the driver can see you… WALK, don’t run!

• Always walk in front of the bus if you need to cross the road—The driver can’t see you behind the bus.
• Always wait for the driver to signal you to cross, and look for other cars and bikes before crossing.
• Never stop to pick something up near the bus, even if you dropped it—Ask the driver or teacher to help you.
• Stay away from the DANGER ZONE until it’s time to get on or off the bus.
• Do not walk between parked buses or play around them.

Your bus driver has a very important job. How can you make the driver feel special?

• Say “good morning” and “thank you.” Everyone likes to feel appreciated.
• Be kind and respectful to the driver and others on the bus.
• Follow the safety rules.
• When the driver says, “Stop, look and listen!” you need to be quiet and follow their instructions.
• The bus driver is there for you. Let them know if you feel sick, you are hurt, or you need help with something.

• If you feel hot, ask the driver to open the window and keep your head and arms inside the bus at all times.
• Don’t throw stuff inside the bus or out the window—You could hurt someone.

Safety Poster and Writing Competition Winners

We received close to 500 creative and inspiring submissions from students of all ages during OSTA's first-ever Safety Poster and Writing Competition. Below are some of the winners from the Bus Safety Poster Categories!

No Food on the Bus (Gr. 4)

Vaping and Bullying on the Bus (Gr. 8)

Kindness and Cooperation on the Bus (Gr. 9)

If you have reviewed all of the great school bus safety resources and want to test your knowledge, then we recommend you take our School Bus Safety Quiz!

Students are expected to follow the school bus safety rules on School Vehicles to keep themselves and everyone around them safe!

Remember to:

• Walk directly to your seat and sit down;
• Remain seated until the vehicle comes to a stop, and it’s your turn to exit;
• Use polite and respectful language on all vehicles;
• Do not eat or drink on the bus;
• Keep backpacks, lunch boxes etc. on your lap;
• Keep aisles and emergency exits clear at all times;
• Don’t talk to or disturb the driver while the vehicle is in motion.
• If listening to a portable media player or similar device, wear headphones;
• Place your garbage in a bin or your backpack;
• Keep your hands, feet, arms, and heads inside the bus at all times;
• Never throw anything out the windows;
• Never touch emergency exits or any other school vehicle equipment, except in the case of genuine emergency; and
• Follow the driver’s instructions at all times (or the Student Bus Monitor in cases of an emergency, if your bus has one.

This year, students will be required to sit in a specific seat on the vehicle, as directed by the driver or school Principal, to ensure student safety.

Failure to follow the rules on the bus will result in disciplinary action. The driver will provide a report to the school Principal and OSTA. And the student’s parents will also be informed of the incident. If the written warnings fail to resolve the problem(s) or the circumstances warrant, the school Principal may suspend bus privileges for three (3) consecutive school days or indefinitely.

Let’s keep the bus ride to school safe and enjoyable for everyone!

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) delivers safe, efficient and effective multi-modal transportation solutions to students of the Ottawa-Carleton District and Ottawa Catholic School Boards.

In Ontario, The Education Act (RSO 1990, Chapter e.2, section 190) states that school boards “may” provide transportation for pupils. Transportation services are considered a privilege, and not a right, for individual students.

Eligibility for motorized transportation is established by OSTA and is generally based on the student’s home meeting a minimum distance requirement from the school, or when the school board establishes the student’s school of attendance based on special programming needs.

Student safety, and continued access to services, often depends upon the joint efforts of parents, school board/consortium staff, and students themselves, to learn about and engage in safe bus riding behaviour.

You can help the bus driver get everyone to and from school safely, simply by following these bus safety rules!

To ensure your child understands how to take the bus safely, OSTA recommends that parents/guardians:

• Visit OSTA’s annual (Virtual) School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Day with their child, especially if it is their first time riding the bus.
• Review the School Bus Safety Brochure with their child, either online or in hardcopy format, before school starts and on a regular basis thereafter.
• Review the Back to School Safety on the Bus Poster with their child online.
• Help their child understand their role in keeping themselves, and the other riders, safe.
• Practice proper bus-riding behaviour at home with their child.

• Parents are expected to supervise their child(ren) at the stop until the bus arrives.
• Prepare to be standing at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the posted bus stop time.
• Stand away from the roadway on the sidewalk, grassy area or nearby driveway until the bus arrives.
• Keep your child off snowbanks to avoid them sliding underneath the bus.
• If your child must cross the road to load on the bus, wait until the bus has come to a complete stop and the stop-arm is fully extended; ensure there are no other cars driving by; look at the driver and wait for a wave to cross; advise your child to stay well in front of the bus so the driver can see them; and WALK, don’t run.

• To ensure the safety of Junior and Senior Kindergarten students transported, parents/guardians shall be required to meet their child in person at the vehicle, when the vehicle arrives at the stop, or to make arrangements at the school to identify a responsible individual to meet their child at the stop on a daily basis.
• The driver shall not drop kindergarten students without the identified person to meet them at the vehicle.
• Failure to comply with this policy may result in the forfeiture of transportation.
• It is also extremely important to keep the Yellow KG Tag on your child(ren)’s backpack as that quickly alerts the bus driver that the child must be met at the stop. If your child no longer has the Yellow KG tag on their backpack, please request another one from your school’s office administrator.

• The school bus is considered an extension of the classroom. Therefore, the Principal deals with behaviour issues on the bus.
• If a student misbehaves on a school bus, the Principal has the authority, under policies established by the School Board, to discipline the child, suspend and/or terminate transportation.
• Parents, guardians and other unauthorized adults are not allowed to board the bus and are encouraged to address any concerns directly with the Principal or with the Operator.

OSTA maintains a web-based Parent Portal which contains transportation information for each student and lists any run delays, daily.  Parents/guardians can subscribe for email notifications of delays and service cancellations, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or look up delays and cancellations online.

Short-term cancellations and delays
Day to day short-term cancellations (including storm-related cancellations) are posted to our delay and notification page and subscribers are notified via email as they happen.

Long term cancellations
Any cancellations lasting longer than a few days are posted to the long-term OCDSB and OCSB cancellation lists.

From time to time, poor road/ visibility conditions due to inclement weather can result in the cancellation of our transportation services.

• These cancellations apply to the whole day, even if the weather event is predicted to occur only in the morning or in the afternoon.
• Schools remain open and parents may drop off and pick up their child(ren).
• Service cancellation messages are online on OSTA/OCDSB/OCSB websites and/or distributed electronically by 6:00 A.M. All media is alerted, including local radio stations.

• Know your child’s school bus route number, and the name and telephone number of the operator for the route.
• You should be calling the school bus operator in the event your child leaves something on the school bus, or in the event of an emergency.
• Your child should always be dressed appropriately for the weather. From time to time, school buses may be delayed due to weather or road conditions.
• Speak to your child about an alternate plan in the event the bus does not arrive, or they miss their school bus.
• Overly loose or dangling clothing items can pose a risk of choking or unnecessary restraint for children. Drawstrings on jackets, long scarves and other loose clothing items may get caught on the bus or school/ playground equipment.

In the interest of safety, only certain equipment is allowed on school vehicles, under the following conditions:

• Musical equipment must be housed in cases and should be kept on the student’s lap whenever possible.
• Ice skates must be carried in a sports bag, or tied together with the blades covered, and kept on the floor at the student’s feet.
• Parents are expected to provide transportation for their child when bulky or large items such as projects and sports equipment (i.e. skis) must be taken to and from school.

School Bus Safety Tips  – Check out our posters, brochures and videos for Kindergarten students all the way up to Junior elementary students. We encourage you to review these rules with your children or students before school starts!

Don't Drive, Let Them Ride Poster

School Bus Safety Poster

Safety Poster and Writing Competition Winners

No Food on the Bus (Gr. 4)

No Vaping on the Bus (Gr. 8)

Don't Drive Distracted (Gr. 10)

Courtesy and Kindness on the bus (Gr. 9)

Bus Safety Videos

During these unprecedented times, Consortia across the province are working with their Member School Boards, their local Public Health Unit, their Operators and the Ministry of Education to mitigate health risks associated with COVID-19 on transportation vehicles.  OSTA’s priority is creating an environment where students can feel safe and limit the transmission of the virus to the extent possible.

Find out more about student transportation during Covid-19.