Knox Co. begins program to periodically observe bus drivers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Knox County has begun its safety check ride program in which uniformed officers ride school buses periodically to observe drivers.
The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1JknRVd ) reports the program is one of four strategies the district has introduced following a Dec. 2014 bus crash that killed two Sunnyview Primary students and a teacher’s aide.
Other strategies include the addition of cameras on each of the buses, additional training for bus drivers and the review of the district’s transportation department and operations by an independent consultant.
The district’s chief operating officer Russ Oaks says the ride program will allow officials to see if everything they’re doing is taking effect.
Oaks says the goal is to have the checks completed for about half of the district’s drivers by the end of the semester.
