Bus drivers who have been victims or witnesses of student violence in their vehicles feel ill-equipped to deal with it.
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At the end of January, Hélène, a bus driver from Lanaudière, was beaten by a fifth-grader who refused to comply.
When she arrived at school, she went to the back of the bus to warn him and give him a ticket because he had insulted and harassed another student throughout the trip.
That’s when the boy “exploded,” she said. “He started hitting me hard on the sternum, I froze. I told myself I had no right to touch a child, but I also couldn’t wait for it to hurt me.”
The student finally got off the bus and collided with her, she says, still a little shocked.
In twenty years of driving, she had never experienced such a violent incident.
The student received a three-day suspension. When he returned by bus, he was accompanied by a counselor for a few days.
Another driver, Sylvain, laments the lack of resources available to drivers on board their yellow vehicle. “We don’t have much to do on the buses. We have a rearview mirror and a ticket pad. That’s all,” he said.
He says this driver witnessed fights between teenagers in his vehicle and even a stabbing altercation that left one injured.
Several students with special needs who would previously have been transported in minibuses or limousines now find themselves on public buses, in a context that is unsuitable for them, regrets this driver, who has 17 years of experience.
In secondary school, a bus can accommodate up to 48 students, while in primary school this number can increase to 72 as three students can sit per bench.
For its part, the bus transport association believes that the solution requires “better communication” between schools and transport companies.
“Sometimes drivers feel like they are on their own when it comes to dealing with these situations,” regrets its president Luc Lafrance.
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