4 and 5 kids in school bus seats?!? Is that ok??

hboo22 · Aug 19, 2010

Our school apparently had some transportation cuts, so they eliminated a couple bus routes. It's been a huge mess (my 5 yo, on the 1st day of Kindergarten, rode the bus for almost 2 hours cause the driver didn't know where half the kids went, and the neighbor girl had to chase the bus down to get Laila off it!) and I have been told by numerous people that a couple of the buses (Laila's included) are so crowded the kids have to sit 4 or 5 in a seat, and on each other's laps!! Laila rode home today on the neighbor girl's lap!! Surely this is not ok?!? I tried to find Missouri bus laws, but am not having any luck. There are alot of ticked parents, and unfortunately there is no other way for Laila to get home than ride the overcrowded bus

Can anyone help me, maybe find me a link so I can print something off to take to the school?? I thought there was only supposed to be 3 kids per seat?? Oh, and these are NOT newer buses, they are the old ones like I used to ride...

BookMama · Aug 19, 2010

I don't have any links for you (and should be working on a freelance article I'm writing

so no time to hunt down links), but I've had enough school bus safety education to know that children should NOT be sitting on each other's laps on a school bus. In the event of a crash, those lap children are going to be smashed between the child whose lap they're sitting on and the back of the bus seat in front of them. Not a pretty picture.

I do believe that most buses are designed to accommodate 3 smaller children, so I'd be fairly comfortable with 3 kindergartners in one seat.

Evolily · Aug 19, 2010

There should be a capacity number on the side of the bus. I might try calling the state board of education (or department of education, or whatever it is). I'm the first to say buses are very safe, but I'd drive her if at all possible until it's sorted out.

canadiangie · Aug 19, 2010

Holy smokes. No, that isn't okay.

Aside from the safety aspect of things (taking compartmentalization to a whole new level

) your poor little dd. My dd would have been exhausted and terrified. Hugs to your little one.

hboo22 · Aug 19, 2010

I found a little bit of info (it was on compartmentalization) and it says that a standard bus should hold 72 elementary or 46 high school students and that they have 13 seats on each side, so.....that's 26 seats and that times 4 kids per seat is 104 kids!! These buses are carrying little ones and high schoolers so even that many is WAY over the limit. And I just found out that another mom said her kid's bus had as many as 6 per seat and some standing!! She called the bus barn to complain and was told they're "working on it".
I am on the warpath!! Does anyone know who I can call (like what state dept) to report this?? Maybe Dept of Transportation, or even the Highway patrol??
And any links would still be appreciated if anyone has them, I haven't really found anything that I don't have to search around through and take out of context...I also wanna post it on FB, as alot of local parents on there are concerned.
I'm trying to figure out a way for Laila to be picked up from school tomorrow too...

emtb79 · Aug 20, 2010

Usually the last seat on each side are smaller and it can only really hold 2 but 3 to a seat would yield 78. But when I had issues with the bus becaue the in our neighborhood that my daycare were riding almost hit me head on, I called dept of transportation.

Dillipop · Aug 20, 2010

I would call the school department, principal of your dd's school, the bus barn, your state's department of education, the department of transportation, and then I'd round it out with a call to all of the major news networks/newspapers in your area. This is completely unacceptable and more busses need to be added today!

My3Ls · Aug 20, 2010

18. How many students can be transported on a school bus?

The operator of a school bus can transport no more children than the manufacturer suggests as appropriate and each passenger must have seating space sufficient enough to ensure that the back of each passenger may come into full contact with the seat back (304.060, RSMo and 5 CSR 30-261.010 (4)(B)3.I).
I found it on here...
http://dese.mo.gov/divadm/trans/faq.html
I would call the DOT!

hboo22 · Aug 20, 2010

Well, my mom called the DOT today and they had a highway patrolman call her. He lives in town and went to the bus barn to talk to them. He said they cannot legally transport more kids than the bus allows and the school cannot disregard the safety rules. I had DH pick up Laila from school so she didn't have to ride the bus (and she was mad at me, she likes the bus)

Then my mom called me after school and said she asked the little neighbor boy if the bus was crowded today and he said no, that they took the elem. kids home before getting the high school kids :thumbsup: so it sounds like they are trying to make it right!

BookMama · Aug 20, 2010

That's great news! It sounds like they were just overwhelmed with the budget cuts/bus cuts. (Not that that excuses the disregard for safety, of course.)

4 and 5 kids in school bus seats?!? Is that ok??

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