Salish-Kootenai College participates in Montana transit competition

BUTTE - The sixteenth Annual Montana Statewide Bus Roadeo presented by the Montana Transit Association (MTA) was held on June 23, 2007.The one-day event is held annually to promote safety by encouraging and rewarding professional driving skills. According to the registration form, "The special event provides participants with positive job-related motivation by emphasizing the important role they play in providing safe and reliable transportation for the citizens of Montana. The Roadeo also encourages camaraderie among the drivers and various transportation providers by the sportsmanship and pride the event fosters."

The event is welcome to anyone involved in providing transit services and it includes several driving obstacle contests that test the driver's skill. Transit drivers are responsible for providing transportation to senior citizens, recipients of social service, persons with disabilities, or the general public. There are two divisions including full size buses and Para transit and both have certain qualifications they must meet prior to entering the contest including written, wheelchair safety, and driving tests. They must also be meet the qualifications of being a Para transit vehicle passenger service in Montana for six months prior, must have had no preventable accidents with the last year, acceptable attendance, and no punitive disciplinary suspension in the past year.

Prizes were awarded in the following:
    First Place: All expense paid trip to National Competition in Austin, Texas
    Second Place: $100.00
    Third Place: $50.00

CSKT's transit program entered in the State Roadeo this year and Gary Stiner and Injun Plant participated in the sixteenth annual Montana State Bus competition. Other drivers of CSKT's Transit program involved in the practice run included Shade Tanner, Rusty Cordeier, James Gardipe, and Leroy Black. All drivers of transit from CSKT were in Division 2- Para transit, which is the smaller bus and van division. Gary Stiner finished in the top five in the entire state of Montana.

CSKT's transit program is planning to attend and compete again in next year's competition.