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| Volume 16, Issue 3 | Fall 2004 |
2004 Paratransit Bus Roadeo Darrell Francis, Souris Basin TransportationMinot, ND The 15th Annual North Dakota Paratransit Roadeo was Aug. 28, 2004, at the city of Minot public works parking lot. With a very nice day, 31 drivers went through the obstacle course, testing, pre-trip inspection and wheelchair operation. There were a few new faces mixed in with the experienced drivers and the course looked intimidating but possible. Limited space in some areas of the course reduced the distance between the obstacles, making the course more of a challenge. The wheelchair and pre-trip inspection were done inside the building, providing a more isolated area for the drivers to concentrate. For the past 15 years, the cones have been the same color and some of the turns and stops have been in the same place, but the faces and experience has changed. Since last year's roadeo, drivers have one more year of experience behind the wheel, federal regulations have changed, buses are updated and wheelchair lift safety features have been added. The greatest change of all is the demands we put on the drivers to accommodate the public. Giving the drivers a chance to test their skills and provide a day of training during the roadeo will benefit all their customers. The real winners are the passengers they serve. Rick Thoms and I were able to put on a PASS class for 24 drivers on Sunday at the International Inn and Darrell Michelanko did a defensive driving course for the bus drivers on Saturday afternoon and Sunday for 15 drivers. The courses, coupled with a few hours of sharing stories and experiences, provided some new ideas for the drivers to use and share with their coworkers. The day-after training sessions proved to be beneficial to the drivers. At the awards banquet held Saturday night, those of us at Souris Basin Transportation were able to thank the judges for their time and show our appreciation to the drivers who attended. First place went to Dennis Ulmer of Elder Care; Second place went to Den Kuhenenmed of Souris Basin Transportation, Ed Stickle of James River Transit earned third; Niela Rae Ludwik of West River Transportation, fourth; and Phil Dahle of Souris Basin Transportation, fifth. South Dakota winners were: Ricky Anderson of River Cities Transit, first; Rickard Pearson of Arrow Transit, second; Kevin Disburg of River Cities Transit, third; Dave Wright of Arrow Transit, fourth; and Annette Gross of Prairie Hills Transit, fifth. It takes a great deal of time to prepare for a Roadeo, but the success also depends on the volunteer judges who return and share their experiences. I am truly grateful to the men and women who give up their Saturday and Sunday to assist in this event. Again, I would like to express our gratitude to the drivers, spouses, and project directors for a very successful and memorable Roadeo. We hope we will be able to be as successful with the 16th Annual Roadeo next year. Once again congratulations to Den Kuhenenmed, Souris Basin Transportation, for winning the 2004 National CTAA Paratransit Roadeo, body on chassis division, in Seattle, Wash., in June, 2004. Good luck to the future North and South Dakota drivers who will represent the states at the Nationals next year in St. Louis.
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