Bus safety for school kids:

Longueuil, May 9, 2022 - The members of the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) Board of Directors unanimously adopted a motion to merge the Getting on Board and Blind Spots bus safety programs.
In partnership with the Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL) and the Centre de services scolaires Marie-Victorin, this unique program aims to create a lasting positive impact on the community, especially among preteens.

Highlights

• Initially developed for grade 6 students, the Getting on Board and Blind Spots programs will now be merged and offered to grade 7 students as well. Each workshop lasts approximately three (3) hours.
• As a partner in this initiative, the SPAL will participate in the school tour with the RTL.
• Program objectives:
  • Inform preteens aged 11-13 about road safety and the RTL’s operations (vehicles);
  • Educate preteens aged 11-13 about the dangers of getting too close to a city bus because of its many blind spots.
• Workshop elements:
  • Tour of a parked bus;
  • Presentation of the bus’s blind spots by a driver-instructor;
  • Opportunity for participants to sit in the driver’s seat to show them what the drivers can’t see.
• As of September 2022, there will be a tour of student groups in the Centre de services scolaire Marie-Victorin.

Quotes

“The mission of the Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil is to keep all citizens of the Agglomération de Longueuil safe, and that includes our children. The SPAL will work with the Réseau de transport de Longueuil to educate young people about the importance of respecting the Highway Safety Code and understanding the dangers related to buses. Prevention is the key to avoiding accidents.”
- Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil

“Young people need to be aware of the risks and precautions they need to take in and around city buses. Our new program will be enhanced over the next few weeks so that it’s ready for the start of the school year. This initiative will allow the RTL, as a corporate citizen who cares about public safety, to take on a bigger role within the Agglomération de Longueuil in terms of bus safety.”
- Geneviève Héon, Chair of the RTL Board of Directors

About the RTL

The Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) is the main transit provider for individuals within the five cities that comprise the Agglomération de Longueuil. 
The third-largest public transit organization in Québec, the RTL operates a network of 793 kilometres. With some 1,100 employees, the RTL is a major employer that contributes to the economic vitality of the region.

Ever receptive to its users, the RTL plays a key role in the lives of the people and the communities it serves by providing solutions that are efficient, innovative, and adapted to the evolving needs 
of its clientele. Improving quality of life for the citizens of the Agglomération de Longueuil is a top priority for the RTL.