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Questions and Answers Q. What is Durham Student Transportation Services? A. In December 2005, the Durham Catholic District School Board and the Durham District School Board formed a consortium to provide transportation services for all eligible students in the Durham Region.. This consortium now operates as Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) and is responsible for the safe transportation of more then 28,000 Durham students every day. Q. How early do I have to be at the bus stop? A. Parents/guardians are responsible for getting their child to and waiting at their designated bus stop. Students should arrive at their designated stop 5 minutes before the bus arrival time. DSTS employees review all stopping locations to ensure they are safe, as well as, ensuring boarding practices are followed and safe driving takes place on the ride to and from school.
Q. My route has been changed this year. How was this decision made? A. Route Coordination is an ongoing process; DSTS staff analyze all school bus routes in conjunction with the ever changing demographics of the Durham Region. This is done to ensure that students experience the most efficient transportation possible. Thus any alterations to school bus routes each year, are the result of changes to student enrolment and/or timing of the route. DSTS continues this ongoing review to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the system. This is accomplished utilizing the bus fleet by increasing routing areas and keeping ride times down for students. One of the ways we achieve this goal is by assigning more students to stops in safe centralized locations (Parks, Home Schools, green spaces etc...) rather then creating numerous stops.
Q. I have a Kindergarten student riding a bus. What can I do to make sure they are delivered safely? A. The best way to ensure your kindergarten child or any young student is delivered safely is information. By keeping the child's school informed of approved lists of people who can meet the child at the stop, up to date contact numbers such as work and cell numbers and, requesting that the student not be delivered without supervision at the stop. These requests are forwarded to DSTS and then added to the student's transportation record so any driver is aware and informed of the child's needs.
Q. Do DSTS offices close at the end of June like schools? A. DSTS offices are open year round. We encourage parents/guardians to contact us during the summer months rather then the busy first few weeks of school with any questions or concerns.
Q. I have an infant. Can I have my stop at my home so I do not have to bundle up my younger child? A. All student transportation is governed by the same policies as other families who do not have infants or toddlers at home. Thus, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to get students to and from the stop, both in the morning and the afternoon.
Q. My child plays an instrument. Can they take it home on the bus? A. Safety on the bus is paramount to DSTS. Thus, only instruments that can fit on the students lap, or can be placed under the seat of the bus are permitted. This is to eliminate the possibility of projectiles in the event of an accident, as well as, keeping evacuation routes clear and easy to navigate at all times.
Q. My street does not have any sidewalks from my home to the designated stop. Will I now be eligible for a home stop? A. DSTS looks at many environmental factors when assigning students to stop locations. However, the presence or lack of sidewalks does not dictate the placement of a stop. Traffic patterns and topography are just some of the variables that are taken into account when a stop placement is made.
Q. Can parents/guardians change their child's transportation if they are going away for a few days? A. Any parent/guardian traveling (i.e. Trips, conferences, etc...) throughout the school year is responsible to make their own arrangements for their children if they are at a caregivers for the duration of the parent/guardian's absence.
Q. My Child attends an activity/job after school. Can I change their bus for these days? A. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure the student arrives on time for their job/activity before or after the school day.
Q. Should I be concerned with mixing elementary and secondary students on the same bus? A. Combining elementary and secondary students bussing has been in practice across the Durham Region for many years. These arrangements work well and bus behavior is monitored cooperatively by both the bus driver and school administration. If there are any issues associated with discipline, language or seating assignments, they will be addressed by the affected schools' administrative team.
Q. Why are there no seat belts on school busses? A. Research has shown very few injuries happen inside of school buses. School buses are engineered and manufactured differently then a passenger car. School Buses protect passengers through "compartmentalization", this design includes:
In addition, studies have shown that adding seat belts to the current seating configuration of a school bus can increase the chance of head and neck injuries. Additional information regarding this question can be found at Transport Canada.
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