Bus line deems roads unsafe

After 16 years and two weeks at the same bus stop with kids, my sons' school bus stop at McKenzie St. and Louise St. in the village of Inglewood has been moved to a newer subdivision in town because Parkview Transit states that the roads of the Village of Inglewood are unsafe.

Parkview Transit was given the contract for the afternoon run of route 686 and they decided to make the changes. The woman I spoke with at the Parkview Transit company told me she once lived in Inglewood and therefore obviously felt that she is an expert on the roads in the village and a large bus would have great difficulty driving in the area because according to her, the roads are to windy, narrow and not plowed well in the winter.

The route for the bus was along McKenzie Street and then up along Victoria Street. Anyone who knows McKenzie Street and Victoria Street in Inglewood will tell you that these roads are not windy; cars and trucks can pass one another just as comfortably as the older part of McDonald street where the bus still travels. The only curve on the route is in front of the fire hall which if it wasn't maintained there would be bigger problems than a school bus getting through

If Parkview Transit feels that turning a corner is a difficult task and a safety hazard, then perhaps the issue is not with the roads but with their training program for drivers. I have spoken to a couple of bus drivers about this situation and they all say that this excuse is nonsense and that buses that travel sideroads have far more treacherous conditions than a road within this subdivision.

I challenge the Town of Caledon to prove to Parkview Transit and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic school board that their roads are maintained in the winter months and are safe to travel upon whether they are in the older or newer section of town.

I realize that the chances of this letter making any difference to the bureaucratic system is slim to none, but sometimes it is necessary to voice your opinion and see where the ball lands especially with the amount of stress this change has caused to an eight-year-old child who once was able to get off the bus in a familiar area.

P. Crake