Group wants policy changes for school buses

The Newfoundland and Labrador School Bus Owners Association says it wants to see regulations changed — regulations the group says tie the hands of drivers.

"It's the only job in the world where a kid can get in your face and give you all kinds of lip and there's really not a lot you can do about it," said bus owner Terry Parsons.

Parsons says he would like to see changes to policies and regulations to, for example, put surveillance cameras on board school busses.

That, says Parsons, would cut down on distractions and keep students safe.

There aren’t enough bus drivers now, and it’s a big responsibility for a part-time job that pays just  a little more than minimum wage.

"You're in the front of the bus, your back is to the kids, you're trying to drive down the road and deal with all the traffic and all the distractions and all the stuff that's going on on the road," Parsons said.

In many cases drivers are responsible for more than 70 children at a time.