The start of the school year is just around the corner and for some students, that means new experiences are on the way, including taking the bus for the first time. On Sunday, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) invited parents to learn all about it and how to stay safe ahead of the big day at the annual “First Riders Day.” Four-year-old Moon Najem came with her mother Romy Najem. Throughout the bus ride, Moon excitedly spoke about all she saw out the window. She also carefully kept her backpack on her lap, stayed seated and held onto the handrail when getting off the bus. Those are all things highlighted during the morning’s tutorials, and Romy Najem said she was paying close attention. “This is something that makes us feel happy and relieved to see her comfortable going up and down the bus all by herself,” she said. Still, Romy Najem said as the date for the first day of school draws close, there’s mixed emotions. The event is set up to help with the transition. “I’m happy and stressed at the same time,” Romy Najem said. “But seeing her happy makes me happy.” OSTA general manager Jennifer Borrel-Benoit said throughout the morning, more than 2,000 families, many of whom will be taking the bus for the first time, have signed up for the event. The event took place at Holy Trinity High School, Sir Robert Borden High School, St. Matthew High School and St. Mark High School. The event also provided step-by-step guides on how to navigate the roads, including safely crossing the street, getting on and off the bus. Kids watched videos and walked through pretend crosswalks. Borrel-Benoit says the event was put on with the help of volunteers, including bus operators and OSTA staff with the help of the Ottawa Safety Council and yellow bus operators Voyago, First Student, and Switzer-Carty and Attridge Transportation Inc. Borrel-Benoit said helping students navigate the bus system and safety features is important because when the school year starts, more than 55,000 students will be taking yellow school buses across the city. “Really what today is all about is to make sure that they can understand that the bus driver is a safe person, that they are going to comfortably be able to get up those steps where they’re going to sit on the bus and just have that first experience,” explained Borrel-Benoit.
