Bus safety in focus after ‘scary’ incident at rail crossing
By Mike BergerCanton School Superintendent Derek Folan made it clear to School Committee members last week that they are not messing around when it comes to school bus safety.
Referencing an incident that occurred at the Pine Street railroad crossing on the afternoon of December 11, in which a substitute driver transporting students from the Galvin Middle School failed to stop at the appropriate point as a train was approaching, Folan did not mince any words, describing it as a “near miss” and a “scary moment.”
“This incident was jolting,” acknowledged Folan, “and I want this community to know that it has had our full attention since it happened.”
While no one was injured and there was enough space for the train to pass, Folan said the fact that it was a close call — with the crossing arm coming down and resting on the bus — was of “great concern” to school leaders. In addition to contacting the families of every student who was on the bus, administrators launched an immediate investigation into the incident in conjunction with the Canton Police Department. They also reached out to the MBTA, who coordinated with the town’s Public Works Department to have the stop lines repainted and safety poles updated. “Thank you to the DPW and the MBTA for getting that done quickly,” said Folan, adding that they are “hopeful for other safety upgrades as well.”
After discussions with the bus operator, First Student, Inc., Folan said it was determined that the driver that day will no longer be driving for the company, and First Student has already begun retraining its entire fleet of drivers on safety protocols for railroad crossings and beyond. “They are monitoring the crossings to see the protocols in action,” said Folan. “Additionally, they are leveraging some federal training services for railway safety.”
Folan said a follow-up meeting has been scheduled for January that will “ensure accountability around all of the corrective actions,” and he pledged to provide a “more thorough” report on those actions at the next School Committee meeting on January 9 …
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Posted by Mike Berger
on Dec 27 2024. Filed under News, Schools.
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