Add this to the list of concerns related to reopening schools in the fall: Bus drivers may be unwilling to drive routes if buses don't have a protective barrier around drivers' seats.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently rejected a proposal that would construct plastic barriers in buses in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus from students to drivers.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, the majority of the state's public schools contract with private companies for bus transportation. Mike Berg with the Pennsylvania School Bus Association said those companies have a hard time keeping drivers even during normal times.
"Everyone is looking at this very differently. And they all are looking at the science of it. They're looking at what's going to work in their district. But there is no single answer to the question. All we know is what we're trying to do is put options out there for the districts," Berk said.
The transportation department notes there have been no studies on whether those barriers are safe in school buses, which has a point, but what are the chances someone has found a need to study that since schools shut down in March? And similar systems have been used for drivers' protection in municipal bus lines.
This may only be coming up in Pennsylvania at this time, but obviously it will be an issue elsewhere as schools try to figure out how to reopen safely.
