Driver Training

In conjunction with School Bus Safety Company, Roxborough has developed an extensive driver-training program which addresses all aspects of driver training from the hiring of new applicants through to the on-going education of veteran drivers. We conduct our own training using our own Professional Instructor Driver Education (PRIDE) certified driver trainers. We are a Ministry of Transportation approved test and certification centre. We offer training from start to finish. (written test, classroom and on the road training, final road test). Our trainers also participate in ongoing training. This includes annual training courses with local Consortiums, our school bus association, and the School Bus Safety Company.

The Professional Instructor in Driver Education (P.R.I.D.E.) Program is a joint venture of the Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA), Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) and Ontario School Bus Association (OSBA). This one-of-a-kind program teaches driver instructors how to effectively train people. Upon completion of the course, successful candidates are designated as “Signing Authorities” under the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s “Driver Certification Program”.

We take a proactive approach to training drivers on effective ways to deal with all students. . We encourage them to work with school personnel on the best approach to use with specific students.

The large parking yards at all of our facilities enable our trainers to provide practical experience on safe, private grounds. Once our certified instructors feel the driver is confident and capable, he or she is granted supervised access to the streets of his or her community.

There is a minimum of 40 hours of training time, 25 hours of it is on the road training which includes but is not limited to:

Complete daily pre-trip inspections
Fluid level checks as per company policy
Correct mirror use including the identification of blind spots
Back-up procedures
Turning techniques – being aware of tail swing
Highway, city (including one-way streets) and gravel road driving
Defensive driving through intersections
Railway policies and procedures
Pick-up and drop-off procedures as per company policy
Student crossing procedures
Safe fueling practices

Frequency of Training

In order to maintain our high safety standards as reflected in our CVOR rating. Roxborough’s company mandate is that each driver receives an annual evaluation and an annual performance review, both carried out by a driver trainer.

Driver Improvement Courses

Roxborough Bus Lines Ltd is happy to supply non-employees of the public with bus driver training. The organization supplies in-house training, administered by its professional, licensed training staff. The full-range of courses include: defensive driving, winter driving, loading wheelchair passengers, WHMIS, CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operators Registration), safety in the vehicle, pre-trip inspection, preparing for the workday, requirements when passing emergency vehicles, etc.