Top Bus Drivers Toe the Mark

Orange County bus driver Jon Jackson put his driving skills to the test Tuesday. He maneuvered his 40-foot-long bus through an obstacle course that included precision steering around a row of barrels. At one point, he drove straight toward a cone and stopped just inches before hitting it.

And when it was over in just 5 minutes, 54 seconds, he stepped from his machine, broke into a wide grin and gave a thumbs up to cheering supporters.

Jackson, who has spent 20 years with the Orange County Transportation Authority, was among 115 top-notch drivers from across the U.S. and Canada who competed in the International Bus Operators’ Roadeo in the parking lot of Anaheim Stadium.

The aim of the competition, held in conjunction with the American Public Transit Assn.’s annual meeting at Anaheim Convention Center, is to promote driver safety and reinforce skills.

Jackson and the other competitors today will learn who won.

Jackson’s time of 5 minutes, 54 seconds was well under the 7-minute time limit, and he didn’t touch or knock down obstacles.

“I had a good, good run,” Jackson said with a sigh after he stepped from behind the wheel.

The course simulated obstacles drivers encounter on the street. Competitors had to make precision right and left turns, back up the bus and stop for passengers.

But Gail Stewart, one of three women in the competition, said there is a big difference between the course and the street.

“Here, all you think about are measurements and positioning. If you rub against the curb, you lose 25 points,” said Stewart, a driver for the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

Still, drivers overall agreed that the competition sharpens their skills and increases safety when they’re on the job.

“This has helped my driving skills,” said Jackson, who placed sixth in the national competition in 1990. “It’s because of the Roadeo why I’m a much safer driver on the road. And that feels good.”