Safety & Student Transportation

Every standard exists because it's somebody's kid.

We built our safety program the way we'd want it built for our own children — thorough, consistent, and never optional. Here's exactly what that looks like in practice.

See Our Driver Standards
Every Driver, Before Day One
Federal & state background check
Pre-employment & random drug screening
Motor vehicle record review
Behind-the-wheel skills evaluation
Student safety & behavior training
Supervised route ride-along
100%
Drivers background-checked & trained before their first route
0
Tolerance for skipped steps in our safety process — ever
24/7
A Philadelphia-based line for parents to reach a real person
70x
More likely your child arrives safely by bus than by car, per NHTSA

SOURCE: NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). RE-VERIFY FIGURE AT PUBLISH TIME, AS METHODOLOGY AND CITED MULTIPLES VARY BY SOURCE.

Driver Vetting & Training

What it takes to drive an Alta Bus.

No one carries students on day one. Every driver and attendant moves through the same path, in the same order, before they ever pull out of the yard with kids on board.

01

Application & background screening

Federal and state background checks, driving record review, and identity verification before any further steps.

02

Drug & alcohol screening

Pre-employment testing, with ongoing random testing throughout employment — no exceptions for tenure or role.

03

Classroom instruction

Traffic law, vehicle operation, emergency procedures, and how to recognize and respond to student needs.

04

Behind-the-wheel evaluation

A certified trainer rides along and signs off before a driver is cleared for any route.

05

Supervised route ride-along

New drivers run their actual assigned route with a trainer present, start to finish, before driving it alone.

06

Ongoing recertification

Refresher training, performance check-ins, and re-evaluation on a recurring schedule for as long as they drive for us.

How We Keep Every Ride Safe

Safety isn't one department's job. It's four, working together.

Real safety comes from the boring, consistent stuff done right every single day — not a slogan on a poster.

People

Every driver and attendant is screened, trained, and re-evaluated — not just hired once and forgotten.

  • Background checks & drug screening, ongoing
  • Annual recertification for every driver
  • On-site supervisors at every depot

Vehicles

Buses are inspected before they're ever assigned a route, then checked again every single day they run.

  • Daily pre-trip inspection, every vehicle, every day
  • Scheduled preventive maintenance program
  • Any defect takes a bus out of service, no exceptions

Routes & operations

Routes are built around real Philadelphia streets, school schedules, and traffic — then watched in real time.

  • Routes reviewed for road and stop safety
  • Dispatch monitors every run as it happens
  • Delays and changes communicated proactively

Families

Parents aren't an afterthought — you're who we're ultimately accountable to, every single ride.

  • A real Philadelphia phone line, not a call center
  • Clear process for questions, concerns, or feedback
  • Direct line to district & school coordination
If Something Goes Wrong

We tell you what happened. Fast.

No service is ever perfect, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we control is how we respond — quickly, honestly, and with a clear process every time, big or small.

Every incident, from a late bus to anything more serious, follows the same reporting and notification protocol. Parents and school contacts are never the last to know.

Our Incident Response Protocol
Immediate

Driver or attendant reports the situation to dispatch in real time.

Minutes

Dispatch notifies the affected school and, where appropriate, the family directly.

Same Day

A supervisor reviews the incident and documents what happened and why.

Follow-Up

Corrective action is taken where needed — retraining, route changes, or other steps.

Zero tolerance, no exceptions.

Any violation of safety policy — impaired driving, falsified records, unreported incidents, or unsafe conduct toward a student — results in immediate removal from service. This applies to every employee, every time, regardless of tenure or role.

Questions about how we keep your child safe?

We'd rather answer it directly than have you guess. Reach out to our Philadelphia team any time.

Talk to Our Team →