Iowa city bus drivers showcase skills in ‘rodeo’

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – About 20 metropolis bus drivers from throughout Iowa gathered at Kirkwood Group Faculty in Cedar Rapids on Saturday morning for the 2022 Bus Roadeo.

The rodeo was a contest requiring drivers to execute exact parking, tight turns, and fast stops.

“The course is principally set as much as simulate a bunch of various maneuvers that, you already know, a bus must cope with in actual life,” Brian Grootveld, a driver for CyRide in Ames, mentioned.

Whereas the course simulates actual life, it additionally presents conditions drivers would by no means deal with out of concern for security.

“On the highway, if we had an impediment, like, as tight as a few of these, that’s one thing that we wouldn’t even try and undergo as a result of, you already know, the percentages of rubbing up towards one thing, or hitting one thing and damaging the bus, or damaging somebody’s property, or hurting somebody, you already know, the probability of that’s simply manner too excessive in actual life,” Grootveld mentioned.

In addition to a spot to showcase expertise, the rodeo permits bus drivers to spend time with others who perceive what the job is like.

“All of us cope with actually related stuff, simply in several cities,” Grootveld mentioned.

These related experiences embody driving, in addition to the various surprises that come together with navigating metropolis life. Benjamin Koch, a driver for CAMBUS on the College of Iowa, mentioned he’s “really seen a good bit in comparison with most bus drivers.”

“I pulled a suicidal lady off a bridge in Iowa Metropolis,” Koch mentioned. “I’ve seen a whole lot of school college students, I’ve seen a whole lot of possibly not-the-most sober school college students, engaged on getting them house secure, ensuring that they’re okay.”

The winner of the Bus Roadeo goes on to a nationwide competitors.

Copyright 2022 KCRG. All rights reserved.