After reports earlier this month from Fairfax, Virginia, about suspicious buses being used in attempts to pick up children, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) offers some general school bus and transportation safety tips. 

The Washington Post reported on April 13 that Fairfax County police were investigating two incidents in which someone driving a suspicious bus attempted to pick up students. In both attempts, when the bus driver was confronted by a member of the community, the driver shut the door and drove off. 

The bus in the first incident was described as a “short white bus with a blue stripe.” The bus used in the second attempt was described as an “unmarked yellow school bus with black stripes.” 

NASDPTS offered these tips: 

When communicating with parents, it is helpful to remind them of general school transportation safety tips, which include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• School buses are always marked. 
• School bus stops are never publicized. 
• If you see something, you should say something. 

The organization also said that Truckers Against Trafficking, which is a NASDPTS member, has several resources on human trafficking. Those resources can be found here. 

Keith Dreiling, director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit, said human trafficking training is required by Kansas law of all Kansas commercial driver’s license holders. 

“Driver’s license examiners enforce this law,” Dreiling said.