apparently in Ottawa they have school bus monitor website which details all school buses delays etc...

We live a twenty minute walk to school but it is directly uphill all the way. We wanted our son to get the bus, but hope in the spring he'll walk too. Our son is at a French school, so has the right to get the bus, our neighbour's kid is at French immersion in the other direction, but further, he has to walk as they say he lives too near, I'd be cross if I were them. I am impressed with the bus service, but wouldn't have chosen our house based on it.

Hey Kaye, where are you from in the Scottish Borders? I'm from Peebles and living in Cochrane, Alberta. Been here since last May and absolutely love it. Both my kids used the bus last term and it was so handy. I just think the buses here are amazing and makes us parents' lives that much easier, especially when we're trying to get to work.

Hi,
We are in Ottawa with 3 kids age 4,2 and the baby just turned 1 last weekend. We choose the school that was full day and where our daughter was eligible for the schoolbus. I've helped my friend out 2 years ago minding her kids some days which meant school runs with 4 or 5 kids age between 8months and 7 and that through the winter. It took me ages to get them all in snowsuits, boots, hats etc. into the chariot and up the hill to school and when I had the choice whether to send my 4 year old to a school where I had to walk about 15-20mins or her using the bus we choose the bus and so far didn't regret it. Either comes with pros and cons like everything in life. Bus = less hassle with getting all kids dressed and ready and walk them in -25 to school, but if you miss it you'll have to drive or call in sick. In Ottawa the schools stay normally open no matter what weather. If the buses don't run due to snow the parents have the choice to drive the kids or leave them home. But usually the bus kids won't show up and the teachers are prepared for that and won't do much on these days. Make sure the bus pick would be close to your house though, sometimes you still have a bit a walk although you can request a stop change. Have a look at the OSTA homepage and the bus stop locator. Good luck with your decision.

Yes on the OSTA website you'll find everything. Ottawa Studend Transportation Authority. Delays and reasons for delays, bus stop locator, and every mornig from 6.15 whether your bus will turn up or not, mainly important for winter. My top 3 reasons last week for delays were btw: replacement driver, driver absence and behaviour

We're about 7 miles outside Duns, not far from the east coast. Originally from Leeds, but spent 20 years in London, 3 in Falkirk now here! We thought it would "do" if we didn't make it to NS, but if we don't we will probably move closer to Edinburgh for work and for my son to get to ice hockey easier.

We have a lovely cottage here, but haven't managed to sell it yet. Know anyone who wants a fully refurbished farm cottage, ha ha? Bargain price!! Nice, peaceful community, school buses stop outside the door!

I actually drive a big yellow school bus myself. For the most part the kids (at elementary level anyway) enjoy riding it. I drive an in town route and it does get quite full. I'm currently averaging at 58 kids aboard in the mornings at any one time.

So far as the walking bit is concerned, bear in mind that you may still have to walk to your nearest bus stop. Busses don't necessarily pick your kids up right by your house so, depending on the age of your child, you may still wish to walk with them to the bus stop maybe a street away. Also, in the afternoons, Kindergarten students must have a parent meet them from the bus stop otherwise we are not permitted to let them off the bus. If a Kindergarten student's parent does not meet them from the bus and our despatchers cannot get hold of them on the telephone, we have to take them back to the school to wait there to be picked up. This rarely happens.

I agree about the convenient bit about kids taking different busses in the afternoon to go to child minders and the like. I have several kids that don't live on my route but ride with me either some or all afternoons and get off to go to day homes etc.

In our area, if a bus is running more than 10 minutes late it gets put on the "late line". Parents are provided with a phone number when they receive their bus pass at the start of the school year that they can call at any time to see if their bus is running late.

Something else to consider it cost. I know that in some parts of the country use of a school bus is free but not where we are; we have to pay for bus passes (even as a bus driver I have to pay for a pass for my kids).

Even before I drove a bus myself, my eldest used to take the bus. I loved it! I was lucky that the stop was by our house so I used to watch her from the window. Having a younger child, this was great as I didn't have to go out. She's now moved on to middle school and actually walks as its close by. My younger child either comes and rides with me (I drive for his school) or, if my husband is home, he takes the bus that comes through our neighbourhood.

Craigpark2 - little Mr C always waves at me when I go by when he's walking to the B&G Club!

My better half is also a driver.

Her run starts (First pick up) at 6:45am!!! My kids would have to be on the bus at about 7:15

Given the bus makes numerous stops it takes a lot longer to cover the distance to school than I do in the car, I usually leave home at 7:45 to get them there at the same time, so they get an extra half hour in bed, and for young kids that down time is very important. Too many kids get too little sleep as it is IMO.

Its 24km to school (its the only one that does french immersion "nearby"), that's probably far in excess of what most parents would see, but dont forget, the bus takes a lot longer to cover the distance that a parent would, and some kids are spending an hour or more on the bus each way, which eats into time for other things.

We like where we live for other reasons, and accept the time on the bus as a consequence of that. Ideally it would be less, but at least we know their driver is not going to put up with too much crap on the bus. The driver 'er indoors replaced wanted a quiet life and who knows what the kids on the bus got up to as a consequence, its taken the new driver the best part of a year to get the kids to smarten up and stick to the rules.

I put in a complaint about the general ****ing around on our (Scotland) high school bus. That included my own son (dobbed in by other son)!

Primary school bus is better controlled. I think high school buses need a "minder" on them to keep control, and let the driver drive.

Busses here are often a mix of grade school and high school kids. Some have seating plans, some dont. Seating plans seem to work pretty well in isolating the known troublemakers, but its hard to enforce a seating plan when often the bus is assigned to carry more kids then its actually capable of holding on the grounds that on any given day not all the kids will show up. Kind of the way airlines operate in overselling.

Her bus has video cameras, so if there is trouble (not that there often is now) there is an independent witness. There should be no need for a minder IF the school backs up the driver when incidents are reported. But its not the drivers job to wade into disputes, just to issue a pink slip and let the school deal with it. Like you say, the drivers #1 priority is to drive safely, but many other things get loaded onto them for their effective pay of $9 an hour


The biggest downside to busing kids too and from school is that if your kids participate in any after school programs then someone will have to go pick them up. Ideally living in walking distance means thats not necessary. The downside to being close to the school is walking in inclement weather. With small kids you need to be home when the bus drops them off anyway, or else arrange for them to be dropped somewhere where there is adult / responsible supervision (neighbour, daycare etc)

He tells me all the time that he sees you and wishes he could come on your bus in the morning but we barely make it out of the house for 8 am never mind 7.30 am!

It seems to be the other way around for me. I pick up almost 60 elementary school kids and drop off at school before then picking up around 25 high school kids. The high school kids are easy. Never have problems with them. They just sit quietly, listen to their ipods, on their phones or just chat amongst themselves and most say good morning and thanks to me as they get on and off.

Its the elementary kids that are a riot! Almost 60 kids all aged between 5 and 10 just chatting is noise enough but, having to sit three to a seat, there's always little disputes that seem to arise. Nothing major, just petty stuff and the school are really good in backing us up with any problems. I do think its a lot of kids to be on a bus with just the driver but finances won't stretch to having bus monitors or more buses with fewer kids aboard. Also, no cameras on our buses.

I do have a seating plan so far as the elementary kids are concerned. Yes its good for placing certain kids away from other kids that they have problems with but also, having to share three to a seat, if I didn't, its chaos in the mornings at the stops as they never know where to sit because no one else wants to move up. This way, they get on and just go to their assigned seat, no argument.