The wheels on the bus go round and round

IN an age when parents have to work during school hours, the time will come when many may have to bend and allow their children to take public transportation. Indeed, some parents start the practice very early, as evidenced by the many tots seen taking public transportation all by themselves.

For a child, this can be a frightening experience as it will mean that they will be out of their parents’ immediate presence and will be travelling among strangers. It is therefore important that you do not allow your child to begin this exercise until they are about 10 years old, at which time they would have reached a higher level of maturity and can seek assistance from others if necessary. If you have to start early than that, it is important that you keep your child safe by raising their awareness of potential hazards when taking transportation alone. There are also a number of safety tips that your child must know whether they are using a school bus, a public bus or a taxi.

1. If the bus stop is not in the vicinity of your child’s school, teach them the safest route to get there with the fewest streets to cross.

2. Teach them to stand well back from the kerb when waiting for the public bus, and not to approach the bus until the driver opens the door.

3. Public buses rarely come with seat belts. As such, you should advise your child to be seated at all times facing forward. Teach them about optional exit strategies including using the emergency doors and windows in case of an accident.

4. If they are taking the taxi, they should put on the seat belt if one is provided. They should also try to sit in the back seat which is much safer.

5. Teach them to never accept rides from a stranger. It is therefore important that your child knows the driver of the taxi that is taking him/her home from school. If you plan to change the usual driver, it is important that you notify your child’s administrator.

6. If they must take a taxi that was not chartered by you, inform them that they should not take it alone. Instead, they must wait until other passengers are on board before they do so.

7. Teach them that they should never cross the street in front of a public bus. They should wait for the bus to pull away so that they can have a clear view of the street. If they must walk through parked traffic, they should stop and look carefully before stepping out from between vehicles.

8. Let them know that they must cross the street at the pedestrian crossing if one is available when they exit the bus. They must do so when the light changes to red, and when all vehicles have come to a complete halt.

9. Instruct your children to stay away from the rear wheels of the bus at all times.

10. Teach them that when possible, they should walk on the sidewalk facing traffic and always use caution.

11. They should never go under any bus to retrieve something that they have dropped. Ask the driver or an adult to do it for them instead.

12. Avoid all fighting or rough play when getting off or into public transportation.

13. Speeding is one of the major causes of motor vehicle accidents. Teach your child to be very assertive. Let them know that it is okay to let the driver know that they are scared if the bus is moving too fast.

14. They should never put their head or hands outside of the windows of public transportation.

15. Have your child wear brightly coloured clothes when they have to leave school late or take the bus before dawn.