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| January 13, 2003 |
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| January 13, 2003 |
OPERATIONS:
Parking Buses Outside during Cold Weather: When parking buses outside the garage in cold weather, follow the procedures listed below:
Leave the transmission in neutral.
Set the parking brake (do not use the rear door interlock as a parking brake).
Close all windows and roof vents.
Turn off all interior lights and fans.
Turn off the 4-way flashers.
Close the front door by reaching through the driver’s window
Close the driver’s window.
When the outside temperature is 20 degrees or below, do not turn off the bus engine. The high idle and front heat or defrost should be left on. This procedure will prevent the front windows from frosting over and diesel fuel from gelling and clogging both fuel lines and filters. (Barb)
Slide Training: It is the time of year again for all those who have been hired since last winter to get some slide training in the parking lot. We will be holding the first slide practice when we get our first slick-road day. (Brent)
Winter Driving Tips: I decided to put the driving tips in again since we have been fortunate this year and not had any bad weather yet – we can thank El Nino for that.
The following tips will help in reducing the chances of becoming involved in a weather-related accident.
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Report for work rested and alert.¯
Do a thorough pre-trip inspection. Make sure you have melt-it, an ice scraper, Windex, and plenty of grit.¯
Slow down. The posted speed limit may not be a safe speed to travel at during inclement weather. Remember safety before schedule.¯
Give yourself more stopping distance, about 15-20 feet before where you would usually stop. Bridges and shady spots can be icy when other areas are not. Avoid sudden stops and quick direction changes.¯
Turn off the transmission retarder if the bus is equipped with one.
Snow and ice create hazards for our passengers as well. The following tips can help reduce the chances of our passengers having an accident.
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Turn your four ways on early so the passenger knows you see them at the stop.¯
Approach the stop cautiously and allow extra clearance on the right side, if necessary.¯
Choose the boarding and deboarding area carefully. If there is snow at the bus stop, select another area such as a sidewalk or driveway. If the sidewalk is icy or snow covered, give the passengers warning of the condition before they exit. If there is not a clear location keep a clearance of three to five feet from the snow bank so that passengers can use the street for boarding and deboarding. Do not move the bus until all people are safely away from the bus. Check your mirrors carefully to make sure the area is clear.¯
If the steps or aisle is wet or snow covered, put down grit and scrape any snow off the steps.¯
Monitor the interior temperature of the bus for the comfort of the passengers. (Barb)
Complaint Statistics: In November we received only one complaint and only two in December. That’s very good! Keep up the good work.
HIRING AND TRAINING:
New Trainer: CyRide will be hiring an additional trainer to work with Brent on training new drivers and all of our other training needs. Applications are being accepted at Human Resources from now through 5:00pm January 17, 2003.
MARKETING:
Airport Shuttle Results: We carried 261 passengers to the Des Moines International Airport before Christmas and 399 back to Ames after Christmas. Hats off to the drivers and dispatchers who made this shuttle run so smoothly. (Barb)
SHOP: