Did you know that school bus safety is
EVERY bus rider’s responsiblity?
Is this your child’s first time on the bus or walking to school? School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day is a great opportunity for your child to learn about being safe on their way to school.
Sign up today for School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day – Sunday, August 27, 2023
There are also several bus safety videos we recommend:
Ministry of Ed School Bus Safety
Kindergarten – School Bus Safety with Buzzy the Bee
Grade 1-3 – School Bus Safety with Buster the Bus
Grade 4-8 – School Bus Safety for Junior Students
I sit on the seat
With my feet in the gap
My back is on the back
And my backpack’s on my lap
Your bus driver has a very important job. How can you make the driver feel special?
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!
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:
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:
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.
In the interest of safety, only certain equipment is allowed on school vehicles, under the following conditions:
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
Safety Poster and Writing Competition Winners
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.
The Operator’s name and route number for your child’s transportation are found on the Bus Planner Parent Web Portal. Operator phone numbers are found on the Operator Directory Page. The route number is posted in the window of the bus.