IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jean Leier (704) 432-0496
CATS BUS OPERATORS GEARUP FOR FRIENDLY COMPETITION
AT ANNUAL BUS ROADEO
Charlotte, N.C., April 12, 2007 - It will be a day of friendly competition as Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus operators vie for a chance to be crowned best of the best at CATS' Annual Bus Roadeo. The Roadeo will be held Saturday, April 14, starting at 7 a.m., at the Charlotte Vehicle Operations Center, located at 2725 Beam Rd.
During this year's Roadeo, 60 operators from CATS' Bus Operations Division (BOD) and Special Transportation Service (STS) will put their driving and safety skills through a series of challenging tests. CATS has implemented several safety measures during the past six years resulting in a 3.8 percent drop in preventable accidents, decreasing from 1.19 accidents per 100,000 miles to .74 preventable accidents per 100,000 miles.
BOD operators must navigate a 40-foot bus and STS operators must navigate a para-transit vehicle through an obstacle course that includes several driving elements such as passenger stops, serpentine turns and backing maneuvers. They will be judged on how safely and timely they complete the course. They will also be judged on their professional appearance, pre-trip inspection and a written safety test.
The operator who completes all elements of the competition and scores the most points will receive top honors and represent CATS at the International Bus Roadeo in Nashville, Tenn. in May. The second through fourth place finishers will represent CATS at the state competition held in Wilmington, N.C. in June.
"CATS operators routinely undergo rigorous safety and customer-focused training to ensure that our services are not only safe and sound, but reliable," said Jim Zingale, CATS' Chief Operating Officer. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our operators to demonstrate their safe-driving skills on a local, state and national level."
To learn more about CATS and its services, visit www.ridetransit.org, or call (704) 336-RIDE.
