Education
August 21, 2013
The Provincial Government has released an independent consultant’s review of the province’s school transportation system, which includes a number of considerations to take into account when examining ways to provide a safer, more efficient and cost-effective service to students and families.
“In December, the Provincial Government commissioned Deloitte to conduct a review that would suggest ways we might enhance the school transportation service – within existing budgets,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education. “That review is now complete, and the report provides valuable insight as to how we might move forward, in both the short term and the longer term, to improve operations. While there will be no major changes to policies or procedures this September as a result of the report’s findings, there are things we can do right now to move the improvement process forward – such as finding better ways to use technology.”
The review points out that in 2012, 47,539 students were transported seven million kilometres – the equivalent of nine round trips to the moon – and that this was achieved with a good safety record. It also presents a number of considerations across a wide range of busing-related topics, including the effective use of available technology; service delivery models (board-owned and contracted busing); school busing eligibility zones; courtesy seating arrangements; the delivery of driver training programs, and more. The review did not suggest a change to the 1.6 kilometre busing eligibility zone at this time, noting this distance is consistent with or better than eligibility zones in most Canadian jurisdictions.
“Perhaps the most significant considerations presented in the review concerned the use of routing software to help determine the most efficient use of buses; the need to revisit the administration of busing contracts with private operators to ensure the continuation of a safe, reliable service; the equitable delivery of driver training to both board-employed and contracted drivers; the need to examine various ways to monitor activities on school buses, and to ensure that transportation policies are administered consistently across the province,” said Minister Jackman. “We entered into this process intent on finding ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our student transportation system, ensuring safety would always be the top priority. We will now form an advisory committee to fully examine the considerations presented in the report and to map out a course of action.”
Budget 2013 allocates $49.4 million for school transportation throughout the province. The Deloitte report can be viewed at: www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/busing/index.html.
Media contact:
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca
2013 08 21 9:50 a.m.