Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[cool_hi]

Hi dyh,

1) the existing pick up point is directly opp to a bus stop,but spoken to bus operator,he said existing route been used for past 20-30 yr,can’t change wor…if change route/direction,other parents may complain also… Give me the feeling of 算我倒霉，just 忍命!
2) lta may think big bus safer,but kids tend to fall asleep in bus & if bus jam brake,very easy for them to fall off their seats & it knock their heads,can be quite severe!! Depending on your luck!! & anyway,just 2nd day of school ,our school bus bang into a cement mixer truck!! & 2-3 students were slightly injured! So just because there’s no casualty, so it’s still considered safe!? So need to sacrifice someone’s child or worse,children,then the school & LTA will wake up & take action ?

I can understand lta’s reluctance to declare that big bus is not safe,coz if they do,govt need to spend a lot of $(our $) to install seat belts…but I’m more disgruntled with the fact that I’m not allowed to choose+change school bus! & that the bus operator are allowed to operate like gangsters, at our expense!!

[Jennifer]

cool_hi:

Hi dyh,

1) the existing pick up point is directly opp to a bus stop,but spoken to bus operator,he said existing route been used for past 20-30 yr,can't change wor..if change route/direction,other parents may complain also.. Give me the feeling of 算我倒霉，just 忍命!
2) lta may think big bus safer,but kids tend to fall asleep in bus & if bus jam brake,very easy for them to fall off their seats & it knock their heads,can be quite severe!! Depending on your luck!! & anyway,just 2nd day of school ,our school bus bang into a cement mixer truck!! & 2-3 students were slightly injured! So just because there's no casualty, so it's still considered safe!? So need to sacrifice someone's child or worse,children,then the school & LTA will wake up & take action ?

I can understand lta's reluctance to declare that big bus is not safe,coz if they do,govt need to spend a lot of $(our $) to install seat belts..but I'm more disgruntled with the fact that I'm not allowed to choose+change school bus! & that the school allows the bus operator to operate like gangsters, at our expense!!

This is really terrible.

D u speak to the bus driver or Mr Teo the overall person in charge of sch buses?

I think it is better to arrange to meet with Mr Teo & the bus driver to clear up whatever misunderstandings resulted from the sch's mishandling of the issue rather than let the bus driver/bus aunt hold grudges.

As for the other bus driver who claimed he was threatened, I think it is better to take his words with a pinch of salt since we do not really know what happened. The bus drivers serving my area have always been very accommodating. They do not mind allowing my boys to stop by/pick up at their grandma's place whenever I give advance notice. I have been fetching my younger boy from school since last year. I could see that the other bus drivers are caring towards the pupils, definitely not the gangster type.

[drickymummy]

dyh:

cool_hi:

Hi all! Need some advice & voice up on something for benefits of other parents..


The school bus that school assigned,is the big type,thus does not have seat belts..& worse,it cannot come to my blk to pick my girl,so we have to cross 2 roads to the assigned pick-up point which has no shelter(very inconvenient if it rains)..
As I am planning to go back to work,& will then have to rely on my maid who need to bring my 2+yr old to cross 2 roads to pick my girl..I am really worried ESp if it rains! How can my maid manage,need to carry my son with umbrellas,cross 2 roads,then pick my girl & walk back?!
So together with other parents,we wrote in to principal to request change to a small bus with seat belts or install seat belts on existing bus..but when principal met 1 of us,she merely said it's between parents & bus operator..& if we want bus to be installed with seat belts,we have to write in to LTA(without mentioning PEI Hwa),so that if lta change regulations & require big bus to install seat belts,then the operator can receive subsidies to install belts!

Disappointed with they way she handles our needs, 1 parent called 1 pte bus operator(not within school's list of appointed bus)..he still has 4 vacancies but he does not dare to take in our kids,coz he said last year,he took in 1 student who switched from 1 assigned bus to his bus,end up he was threatened by other bus drivers that he is not supposed to 'snatch' their business!!
We were so shocked to hear such mafia behavior! & we consumers have no say & choice to choose though we are the ones who Pay!!

To make it worse,principal arranged to meet bus operator,driver & attendant JUST before she meets 1 parent,so the bus driver+attendant saw that parent and know which parents complain,& cause our relationships to be very awkward!!the bus auntie really showed us black face everyday & even asked the kids for their parents' names! We think she saw or even have the letter,& trying to find out which kids' parents wrote in..we feel so intimidated! & think that the principal mis-handled very badly & has no genuine concern!:( really disappointing!

1 parent may b changing school,I may be buying a car to ferry(which will be over-stretching!) etc..all these just due to the fact that we are obstructed from changing bus!!! I really find it very ridiculous!& disbelieving!!

So for parents who have certain expectation on bus like prefer seat belts,do not take the bus assigned by the school,coz once u take it,very hard to change!:(

Think I have to wait till next year,then can change to that pte school bus:( & due to that,I can't go bk to work,unless I can tahan the mental stress & don't worry abt my maid crossing 2 roads with my son,to pick my girl..imagine my financial loss juz bcoz I can't change school bus! For this, I really don't feel like letting my girl join Chinese dance..why shd I trouble myself to bring Her go cca & bring glory to pei hwa if she represent school for competition ,when the school don't bother with parents' needs??
& the donation drive..I can't be bothered also ,but scared my girl get discriminated in class by teachers.. Sigh!!

1) any possibility to ask the driver to pick your child up at the nearest bus stop? usually nowadays there is shelter all the way to the bus stop.

2) Will be quite a challenge to insist on the seat belt if they are not against the law. I think big buses are generally safer, that's why the gov did not set the law for it.

Tot all sch basis compulsory to install belts regardless of bus sizes? The buses for my sch all have belts... Ds's bus which is also pretty big also have belts leh..maybe got confirm with LTA again?

[iRabbit]

Tomorrow will be ds's first attempt at Track & Field. I hope we can have more success than the previous CCA. The good thing is that unlike bats, at least for track shoes, he can continue to make use of them. Get what I mean?


Seriously, I would have liked ds to take basketball or taekwondo, if only they're offered.

[iRabbit]

drickymummy:

Tot all sch basis compulsory to install belts regardless of bus sizes? The buses for my sch all have belts... Ds's bus which is also pretty big also have belts leh..maybe got confirm with LTA again?

Personally, I don't mind paying more for bus operators to install seat belts and as compensation for their reduced income, caused by the reduction to their seating capacity. Nothing beats our children's safety right? At most instead of driving that luxurious car, I just continue to drive my laopok car lor.

Recently one P4 boy died crossing the road outside his school right? As parents, this type of things cannot afford to play-play; though I do see westerners allowing their young children to cross main roads by themselves. I guess it's just different culture.

[cool_hi]

Jennifer,

No point de…Mr TEO was in the meeting also,with the principal & 1VP…now we face the ‘buay song’ faces of driver & attendant! Coz they warned driver that actually want to sack him (coz we feedback that he drives quite fast thus we worried coz no seat belts,esp after accident)but will give him 1 chance…& I don’t understand why principal didn’t meet that parent,b4 meeting bus operator…should meet parent & find out more from parent 1st, then arrange to meet operator… & should not arrange to meet one after another! The parent was so shocked when she saw the bus operator,driver & attendant!!& they saw her also:(

I think the small bus driver’s service generally better(so far from what I heard),more accomodating…aft knowing the gangster episode,I guess also probably coz they are the newer people who join the industry,less or no ‘protection’ than the pioneers(like the bus my girl forced to take)…so need to give better service coz not 铁饭碗！

[Joyfulhands]

drickymummy:

dyh:

[quote=\"cool_hi\"]Hi all! Need some advice & voice up on something for benefits of other parents..

1) any possibility to ask the driver to pick your child up at the nearest bus stop? usually nowadays there is shelter all the way to the bus stop.

2) Will be quite a challenge to insist on the seat belt if they are not against the law. I think big buses are generally safer, that's why the gov did not set the law for it.

Tot all sch basis compulsory to install belts regardless of bus sizes? The buses for my sch all have belts... Ds's bus which is also pretty big also have belts leh..maybe got confirm with LTA again?[/quote]Drickymummy,
Apparently bigger buses are not required by LTA to install seat belts.
http://ask.lta.gov.sg/home/lta/exploreMQA_PFV.asp?projectid=9274006&category=56095&strPrint=56096%5E59451%5E56095%5E

Cool_hi,
I empathize you on the multiple issues you faced & your frustrations. Indeed, when I ask my gal, she says every kid on the bus were asked what's their parents' names. My jiak-gantang gal replied \"dunno\" when asked in Mandarin, as she can't recall my chinese name :slapshead:
Anyway I'd continue to monitor and remind her of safety during the bus journey. Quitting my job nor buying a car just to ferry her are not among my options currently, so no other better choices left..

[cool_hi]

& I will choose to believe that pte bus operator regarding the threat & warning he receives,coz now his bus has 4 empty seats,but he doesn’t dare to take my friend’s & my kid!! Why would he not want our business & waste the 4 seats??

[cool_hi]

FQW, we did tell them we don’t mind paying more for them to install seat belts,but they said per seat installation is ard $400,so for whole bus will be >$20k!? & this bus is very old already,so not wise to install in case time to scrap soon…

So 40-50 students’ lives are not worth $20k:) sigh!

[iRabbit]

cool_hi:

Jennifer,

No point de..Mr TEO was in the meeting also,with the principal & 1VP..all打官腔,the way they handle is just pushing us ard & worse,make us face the 'buay song' faces of driver & attendant! Coz they warned driver that actually want to sack him (coz we feedback that he drives quite fast thus we worried coz no seat belts,esp after accident)but will give him 1 chance..& I don't understand why principal didn't meet that parent,b4 meeting bus operator..should find out more from parents at meeting 1st & should not arrange to meet one after another! Very insensitive & in fact,brainless!! The parent was so shocked when she saw the bus operator,driver & attendant!!& they saw her also:(

I'm not going to mince my words here. From the way I read how the events unfolded, looks like you find the bus service not up to expectation, you've complained the the sch; P, VP and OM took note of your feedback and acted on it by meeting and then issuing a severe warning to the driver.

For all their effort, they're being labelled as insensitive and brainless? Yes, we may think that they might have done better. But they certainly don't deserve to be served with such brickbats.

I think we should be fair with our comments. Agree?