Prevention on school buses

Aims

• avoiding anti-social behaviour and acts of violence and improving the atmosphere in vehicles  
• avoiding damage to buses and at bus stops
• reducing the risk of accidents
• offering partners added value in addition to “merely” transporting school pupils (intervention by driver-mediators is not billed)
• reinforcing the positive image of PostBus among the general public and partners

Target audience

• the pupils transported by PostBus
• PostBus drivers (to improve their conduct towards children),
• the partners in scheduled passenger services and school services

Driver-mediators

• 2 driver-mediators cover the geographical area (1 in Central Valais and 1 in Lower Valais)
• the driver-mediators still drive the buses:
• school pupils must view them primarily as bus drivers and also gives them greater credibility when they pass on information to their own driver colleagues

Intervention methods

Mainly visits to classes at schools (ages 5 to 16):

• the message is taken to around 75 classes and 1500 pupils each year
• subjects covered: presentation of the profession of driver and conduct to be followed by school pupils at stops and on the bus
• resources: customized educational tools
• Presence at stops and on buses:
  observing school pupils’ behaviour
  intervening among school pupils in case of problems
• Mediating in the event of conflicts between pupils, whether or not they involve a driver
• Meeting with school boards and parents’ associations and taking part in prevention forums
• Raising awareness among drivers (subjects: noise level, courtesy, safety)

Customized educational tools

Giant puzzle, aimed first and foremost at young children:

• a puzzle 170 cm long and 50 cm wide, in the shape of a Postbus
• the children have to assemble it two ways: firstly the side showing school pupils behaving in an unacceptable manner and secondly the side illustrating well-behaved children
• comprising 24 pieces, each child can participate by positioning a piece
• miniature version also available (distributed to each pupil at the end of the visit)

Film for primary school-age children (up to 12 years)

• a 10-minute film (available in three languages), which uses example and counterexample to illustrate the behaviour of pupils when getting onto the bus, during the journey and when alighting from the vehicle
• starring school pupils from two classes of different ages

Film for children aged 12 to 16

• the result of a competition between school classes
• 10-minute film made by teenagers for teenagers
• casual style which enables driver-mediators to more easily convey their messages to this target group, which can be resistant to an overly moralizing and structured style

Cartoon: for all ages

• cartoon distributed to every pupil during class visits
• available in 3 languages, covers serious issues in a relaxed and entertaining way
• serves as a reminder of the message after the driver-mediators have visited