Ross Young Bus Lines serving local community for more than 50 years

Ross Young Bus Lines, a family-owned/operated business, has been proudly serving the local community since 1966.

Located on Bruce County Road 23 (B-line), near Tiverton, the bus company began more than 50 years ago, when Kincardine Township School trustees hired Ross Young to bus students to Kincardine Township-Tiverton Public School (KTTPS).

Ross purchased three new, 72-passenger school buses in 1966, and since KTTPS was still under construction that September, students were transported to schools in Tiverton, Armow and the Southline of Kincardine Township.

KTTPS was completed in January, 1967, and Ross began bussing students to the new school. There were so many children that the buses would be full after travelling only one concession in Kincardine Township.

Don Ribey was the principal at KTTPS and worked with the bus company for 18 years. When the school opened there were 336 students. Within a few short years, the attendance grew to 683 students and Ross had 11 school buses transporting children to KTTPS. Ribey knew all the students by name and where they lived.

When Ross and his wife, Mary, were running the business, they were blessed with reliable and dependable drivers and the bus company continues to have the same high-quality drivers.

Over the years, a few employees have been acknowledged for 25, 15, 10, and five years of service. The workers are an important part of the business and the Young family.

Ross died in 1990, and Mary continued the business for a time before her son, Ken, became interested. He carries on the bus company today, with the support of his wife, Jeannette, and his sister, Kathleen, who is assistant manager.

Ken purchased Gregg Bus Lines of Paisley in 1999. The buses in the Paisley area serve schools in Paisley, Chepstow and Walkerton, while the buses in the Tiverton area serve the five schools in Kincardine.

The newest addition to the Ross Young Bus Lines fleet is the 34-passenger coach bus. This vehicle is equipped with luxurious reclining seats, air conditioning, a DVD entertainment centre and Sirius radio. The company also has a 24-passenger mini-coach which has reclining seats and air conditioning.

Over the years, there have been some major changes to school buses, making them safer. For example:
 

• Child check system that requires the driver to check the bus for any passengers left on the bus
• Higher seat backs making a larger compartment for students’ safety
• Crossing gates have been installed on buses to help students to stay far enough out when crossing in front of the school bus so they are more visible to the driver
• Outside mirrors have increased in size to decrease blind spots around the bus
• Strobe lights have been installed to the rear of buses to make them more visible in all weather conditions and for quicker traffic acknowledgement of the school bus
• There are six emergency exits instead of three in the seating area of the bus

Road superintendents have become very important to bus operators during entire school year. Their information on road conditions in the winter time, and road closures in the summer due to construction, has become important to the bus company's day-to-day operations.

Stories from the past 50 years are endless and they're all different. The Young family has enjoyed the past 50 years and is looking forward to the next 50.

You can contact Ross Young Bus Lines at 519-368-7712, 1-866-568-7712, by E-mail at: rossyoungbuslines@tnt21.com or on Facebook at Ross Young Bus Lines.