The Corona issue in schools is delicate: Everything must be done to prevent further closings, everyone agrees. The Corona case at the Peißenberger Realschule, among other things, proves that this is not always possible, a class had to be quarantined. Another important point is the way to school, especially on the buses, the students are often close together.
District -
That is why the Eberfinger bus operator Toni Oppenrieder, who uses 16 school buses on weekdays, thought about how to deal with the situation.
"Mitigating the corona risk in school transport means more than using additional buses," says Oppenrieder.
He is referring to the seven additional buses used by the RVO due to Corona and the simultaneous statement by RVO branch manager Ralf Kreutzer that 70 additional buses would be needed to guarantee all students a seat (we reported).
"Realistically, you can never achieve the minimum distance due to the regular buses that are usually overcrowded with standing room - you can't even do that if every child has a seat," says Oppenrieder.
But that's not the big problem for him.
"Because the students on the bus usually adhere to the Corona requirements in an exemplary manner," says Oppenrieder.
The biggest drawback for him are the stops, where things often go haywire, especially when the waiting time is longer.
“We need supervisory staff at the stops in the large schools, because this is where the largest clusters of people with the most physical contact are,” demands Oppenrieder.
Other suggestions
from Oppenrieder that not only affect schools, but also parents and his bus entrepreneur colleagues:
- Boarding should take place without jostling at intervals of at least one meter.
- The students should not change their place while driving.
- Entry and exit at two different doors without oncoming traffic
- Buses must be converted to a sufficient supply of fresh air and the newly developed activated carbon filters must be used as ventilation filters.
- Comprehensive cleaning measures on the buses after every trip are necessary, especially on the handrails, handles and the windows.
- Parents should make sure that their children always wear fresh protective masks.
“You can tell from some that they have been worn for two weeks,” says Oppenrieder.
It is clear to him that the district cannot handle the situation on its own and that a compromise has to be made when it comes to the number of buses.
"But the matter is important to me, which affects everyone and not just the students," says Oppenrieder.
