First Rider Program rolling through region

If you’re the parent of a child who’s about to head to kindergarten, and that big yellow bus looks a little bit scary, you’ll want to take advantage of the First Rider Program.

The program offers soon to be kindergarten students with the chance to get acquainted with bus procedures before they start school in the fall.

Benoit Bourgault, general manager of the Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region, said the program provides the children’s first training around danger zones.

“It consists of a brief introduction, highlights of some of the safety features, and then there’s a video to help the student understand how to ride a school bus safely,” Bourgault explained. “It’s super important that students understand that they need to stay far away from the vehicle because the visibility is restricted in some areas.”

Seven schools across the region will be hosting the event, including Chicopee Hills Public School, Holy Spirit Elementary School and Lester B. Pearson Public School.

Parents are encouraged to register their child at the location most convenient to them.

“Parents are nervous about their little one going to school and we try to appease them. It’s good for the parents and it’s good for the students.” Bourgault stated.

The program is free, with tickets available for one parent and one child each.

The First Rider Program will take place on June 7th.

For registration information, visit the STSWR Eventbrite page.