Winners headed to Fort Myers event in April
Bus drivers from Sarasota and Manatee counties went head-to-head on Sunday morning, March 13, “flashing their skills and maneuvering through an obstacle course at the first Bus ‘Roadeo’ hosted at the Manatee County Public Works compound in Bradenton,” Sarasota County announced in a news release.
The drivers from Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) and Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) had to navigate 35-foot-long buses through cones spaced only inches farther apart than the width of the buses, the release says. They also had to operate buses backward, stop them within 6 inches of an object and negotiate tight turns, the release adds. “At times, the buses were going 25 mph through the cones with only inches of room on each side.”
“It’s wonderful to see our drivers displaying their skills in a friendly competition with our MCAT counterparts,” said Benjamin Pearl, safety, security and training officer for SCAT, in the release. “We can’t wait to host next year’s Roadeo.”
In addition to being timed, the drivers started with 700 points; they lost points for hitting cones, the release notes. Each also was scored on a pre-trip inspection of the bus, a written test and a uniform inspection, the release points out.
SCAT’s first-place finisher in the fixed-route competition — Jeff Stapleton — and its winner in the paratransit competition — Gabe Cole — will be heading to the Triple Crown Mega Bus Roadeo on April 2 in Fort Myers, the release notes.
“We will be there cheering them both on,” said Rocky Burke, SCAT director, in the release.