(a) Each agency providing transportation services must ensure that in
planning fixed routes the safety of the children being transported is the
primary consideration.
(b) The agency must also ensure that the following basic principles of trip
routing are adhered to:
(1) The time a child is in transit to and from the Head Start or Early
Head Start program must not exceed one hour unless there is no shorter route
available or any alternative shorter route is either unsafe or
impractical.
(2) Vehicles must not be loaded beyond the maximum passenger capacity at
any time.
(3) Vehicles must not be required to back up or make “U” turns, except
when necessary for reasons of safety or because of physical barriers.
(4) Stops must be located to minimize traffic disruptions and to afford
the driver a good field of view in front of and behind the vehicle.
(5) When possible, stops must be located to eliminate the need for
children to cross the street or highway to board or leave the vehicle.
(6) If children must cross the street before boarding or after leaving
the vehicle because curbside drop off or pick up is impossible, they must be
escorted across the street by the bus monitor or another adult.
(7) Specific procedures must be established for use of alternate routes
in the case of hazardous conditions that could affect the safety of the
children who are being transported, such as ice or water build up, natural
gas line breaks, or emergency road closing. In selecting among alternatives,
transportation providers must choose routes that comply as much as possible
with the requirements of this section.
