By Kathy Chouteau
They navigate unpredictable driving from fellow road warriors while maneuvering busses starting at 40 ft. long, 11 ft. high and nearly 31,000 lbs.—and now, according to AC Transit, 11 bus operators are being duly honored with the 2022 Safe Driving Award.
AC Transit’s Safe Driving Award recognizes bus operators who have safely driven with no preventable accidents over a minimum of five years. The agency said that the award is “a significant achievement for our transit safety professionals,” as they bypass scores of challenges on the road while safely driving their coaches—all the while maintaining a timed schedule and avoiding unpredictable behavior from others.
This year AC Transit’s Safe Driving Award goes to the following bus operators: Lomax Binion, 20 years; Deborah Scarbrough, 20 years; Tony Simington, 20 years; Cheryl Brown, 20 years; Rogelio Barrientos, 20 years; William Collins, 25 years; Michael Winston, 30 years; Claudia Waters, 35 years; Ricardo Perez, 35 years; Tejinder Brar, 35 years; and Jerry Strong, 35 years. According to the agency, these bus operators have 295 years of combined safe driving.
Aside from traversing narrow roads in the Berkeley hills, the NASCAR-like Bay Bridge toll plaza and safely transporting more than 40,000 Bay Area kids to school each academic day, AC Transit said their bus operators are “frontline ambassadors” and “have performed countless acts of heroism for the 16.9 million riders who boarded our coaches this past fiscal year.”
“We encourage all riders and the communities we serve to return to transit, seek out this year’s winners and offer a heartfelt ‘thank you and congratulations,’” said AC Transit.
Learn more about AC Transit here.
