MCS School Bus ‘Roadeo’ Tests Driver Skills, Abilities

The annual (MCS) Bus “Roadeo” competition Wednesday, April 18, begins at 9:30 a.m. at Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics Company located across from 625 South Cobb Drive in Marietta.

The event concludes with an awards ceremony at the MCS Transportation depot located at 145 Dodd Street in Marietta.

“Our school bus drivers look forward to this event every year. It is a great way for drivers to sharpen their skills,” said Mark Lindstrom, MCS Transportation Interim Director. “The competition stresses school bus safety and helps develop public awareness about the responsibilities and abilities needed to drive a school bus.”

The annual MCS Bus “Roadeo” event tests bus driver skills through a series of maneuvers and road tests including, the serpentine, the “Offset Alley”, parallel parking and the newest event this year—reverse serpentine, among others.

Drivers lose points for hitting cones or barriers, using more than one attempt to turn or back up, exceeding precision distance measurements, failing to follow proper procedures, and other errors.

“The winner of the MCS Bus “Roadeo” competes in the Georgia Bus Roadeo at Warner Robbins, Georgia in June,” added Lindstrom. “Two of our bus mechanics, Doug Quarles and Clay Smith recently qualified for the State Technician’s Competition that will also be held in June. Quarles won the state technician’s competition in 2011.”

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