AP 818: Student Transportation in Private Vehicles
Transportation
Background
The Superintendent encourages the use of school buses rather than privately owned vehicles to provide for internal and external transportation of students. Some school employees, or parent volunteers, due to circumstances, may choose to use their own automobiles within the scope of their employment or volunteer activity for transporting students on occasional or infrequent trips.
Definition
a) A “trip driver” is defined as any person authorized by the Superintendent or designate who has agreed to be a driver for certain trips while they are driving their own or another licensed automobile. This includes, but is not limited to: trustees, employees, teachers, parents, volunteers, and officials of the school division.
With respect to private vehicles used for transportation:
1. The Volunteer Driver Checklist and Authorization Form (F8850) shall be completed and signed by a trip driver, the Principal and parents of the students being transported.
2. All requirements listed in the Volunteer Driving Checklist and Authorization Form and all applicable laws shall be met.
3. 15-passenger vans shall not be used for transporting students.
4. Any vehicles used for transporting students shall be properly maintained and inspected to ensure they are in safe working condition.
With respect to insurance coverage:
5. The Division cannot place primary insurance on a vehicle that it does not own, rent, or lease.
6. Insurance placed by the owner of the vehicle is always primary or first loss insurance.
7. The Division requires that anyone occasionally using their own vehicle to transport students on authorized trips provide Bodily Injury and Property Damage coverage on their vehicle to a minimum of two million dollars ($2,000,000).
8. Employees who use their vehicles to transport students as part of their work are required to have the appropriate driver’s license and notify their insurance company of the intended use of the vehicle.
9. Trip drivers who occasionally transport students are required to have the appropriate driver’s license and required to notify their insurance company of the intended use of the vehicle.
Other procedures:
10. Travel expenses, if claimed by employees, are to be reimbursed by the Division at the current rate per kilometre, upon submission of claim.
11. No student, without written permission from the Principal, shall be allowed to drive a private vehicle to transport him/herself to and/or from school-sponsored activities.
11.1. At the Principal’s discretion, written approval may be provided only after receiving a written request from the parent accepting all responsibilities;
11.2. The Principal’s written communication of approval shall clearly state to both the student and the parent that they are accepting all liabilities for transportation and that no passengers shall be allowed;
11.3. Students shall not be allowed to transport another student to and/or from the school activity under any circumstance.
Approved:
