A customised school bus operating as a mini-cinema is to visit the Community Games in Athlone to spread the school transport safety message to local children.
As part of a nationwide tour, the 2010 Bus Éireann School Transport Summer Safety Roadshow will visit the Community Games in Athlone IT on Friday August 13 and Saturday August 14.
The Bus Éireann School Transport Summer Safety Roadshow is designed to educate parents and children in a fun way on the importance of children “belting up safely” while travelling.
Parents and children will be invited on board a customised school bus to watch an entertaining DVD featuring RTE star, Dustin the Turkey. The 15-minute DVD features Dustin with a host of school children and stresses the dos and don’ts of school bus safety, emphasising in particular the importance of wearing your seatbelt. The DVD has already been sent to every primary and second level school in the country. Children will also be invited to take part in art competitions and there will be prizes, giveaways, and promotions. Bus Éireann school bus drivers, inspectors, and local school transport staff will crew the bus and will answer queries parents may have about best safety practice relating to school transport and planning school transport for their children.
The campaign is also aimed at advising parents on how to enhance the safety of their children prior to boarding and after alighting from the school bus. Statistically, the majority of accidents involving school children do not take place on board the school bus, which is one of the safest ways for children to travel to and from school.
Bus Éireann spokesman Andrew McLindon said: “The Bus Éireann School Transport Summer Safety Roadshow is a summer long campaign aimed at promoting the school bus safety message and encouraging children to belt up safely whilst travelling. Visiting the Community Games in Athlone will provide us with an excellent opportunity to communicate to parents and children that wearing a seatbelt on the school bus is vital for safety, while also assisting parents with any questions they may have. The roadshow builds on several other successful TV, radio, and DVD campaigns to urge students to belt up safely.”
