Evening star., 1942-10-08
Pupils Within
Mile Of School
Urged~to Walk
oDT Chief Says
This Would Save
Buses for Others

Able bodied children who live
within mile of school should walk
IN reasonable weather this winter.
thus saving bus space for others
who have farther to 60, the Office
OF Defense Transportation indicated
today IN an appeal to communities
to conserve school transportation.
Revised schedules" said joseph
B. Eastman, ODT director, Should
be predicated on the assumption
that the physically able child can
walk miles to and from school.
where weather conditions permit, as
IN many instances his father and
grandfather did before him."
Staggering of Hours Urged.
Staggering of school hours was
another conservation measure sug-
gested by Mr.. Eastman. This, he
said. presents an excellent oppor-
tunity to the local districts to obtain
the maximum utilization of their
bus equipment" and he added:
Ihere is no valid reason why all
the school buses should travel to
and from the schools at the same
hours each day, to stand idle in the
school yards in the interval. if by
staggering, half as much equipment
could be used for double service.
Hours staggering worked out on a
COMMUNICATIVE basis also can re-
lease buses for the transportation of
workers"
Mr.. Eastman warned that with
the supply of new buses almost ex-
hausted, school authorities must
realize that future ALLEGATIONS will
OF necessity be based on full cooper
alton with the ODT's conserva ton,
program"
The transportation director made
1t clear that the 100000 boys and
girls who are dependent on school
buses will get to their classes this
winter. But the continuance of even
essential school transportation. he
emphasized. depends on the strict
and immediate application of ODT
conservation policies to bus equip
ment by State and local school au-
thorities." 4
Should Avoid Overla piping.
ODT, said Mr.. Eastman, "recog-
nlzes that the preservation of de-
mocracy is dependent to large de-
gree on the maintenance of an ade-
quate education program for the Ma
tion's children" He added: II am
aware, also, that one sixth of the
country's school population COM
mutes between the home and the
classroom.
"At the same time, a tremendous
burden, born of the. war, is being
placed on all forms otstransporta-
ton. 1t is imperative that the oper-
ators OF school buses contribute their
share in meeting the crisis by put
ting to the best possible use the
equipment which is still available.
ITO this end, school districts
everywhere should survey their bus
service at once to determine where
curtailments can be made. In no
case should a school bus continue
to function where rail service or
regular public bus service is avalla-
BILE
Fewer stops should be scheduled,
even though this requires some
pupils, who formerly boarded the
bus in front of their homes, to walk
hundreds of yards. In general. the
school bus route should avoid over
tapping by following the main road
and having the children living on
side roads meet the bus along the
principal highways"
May Divert School Buses.
Mr.. Eastman pointed out that lin
the past. local regulatory bodies
wisely have adopted stringent regu-
lations covering the operation OF
school buses But he added 1T
may be necessary to relax these
regulations somewhat in certain
communities to permit older pupils
to stand in the vehicles, provided
their safety is not endangered"
The ODT chief also suggested:
ut is quite possible that some
school buses will be diverted from
places where they are least needed
to centers where they are urgently
needed particularly to centers where
war production has heavily increased
population; All such diversions will
be decided on the basis of the Ma
tion-wide transportation require
ments.
1T is the clear duty of the school
bus authorities to use their vehicles
in this time of emergency only in the
actual transportation of pupils be-
tween their schools and homes. OBJ
Nously this does not include the use
of equipment for such events as ath-
letic and music contests"