The bus company that provides shared services to the Lambton-Kent and St. Clair Catholic district school boards is reporting that the first day of school busing was a success.
Chatham-Kent Lambton Administrative School Services (CLASS) General Manager Kent Orr tells Blackburn News the first day for student transportation went really well.
"Of course we are naturally busy with phone calls, last-minute adjustments and tweaking but that is part of school start-up," said Orr. "Feedback from our operators was that students and drivers did great with the new protocols."
Orr also said, unlike other areas, the Chatham and Sarnia didn't have driver shortages, route cuts or changes. CLASS said all routes are scheduled to operate as normal at this time. Orr admitted they typically see some timing delays and fluctuations during startup as the routes settle into a routine and he expects the same over the coming weeks.
"Our area is most fortunate in that our local CLASS operators are reporting a full complement of drivers (i.e. one assigned for every route), plus a number of spare drivers at this time to assist with driver absences or emergency situations etc. so we do not currently have a shortage," he added.
He is asking drivers to watch out for students walking or riding their bikes to school and to make sure they are watching for school buses and stop for the flashing lights to keep everyone safe. CLASS is also reminding parents with students riding the bus to make sure they are aware of the new service protocols and their responsibilities. The information can found here.
Parents can also call CLASS at 877-330-4287 if they have questions or can send questions through the feedback tool on the CLASS website.