Safe on the road: bus school for primary school children
28.05.2026 – Stadtwerke Offenbach is once again preparing fourth-graders to travel to school independently by bus this year. A total of 39 classes will take part in the children's bus school between the Easter and summer vacations.
"Who has ridden the bus before?" asks bus driver Stephan Adam after greeting the children on the bus. Almost all of them raise their hands. Many of them have previously traveled with their parents or grandparents. With the move to secondary school, many will be traveling alone in future. This is exactly what the Stadtwerke children's bus school prepares them for.
"We offer the children's bus school for the fourth grade of Offenbach's elementary school," explains Anja Georgi, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Offenbach's Geschäftsfeld Mobilität. "Our specially trained drivers teach the children early on what is important when riding the bus - from safe behavior at bus stops to reading timetables and buying tickets. Both the children and our drivers benefit from this."
Offer is well received
The offer has been well received for years. "This year, 39 classes have registered - more than ever before. Between the Easter and summer vacations, our drivers are out and about with school classes several mornings a week," says Herbert Gallasch, who organizes the children's bus school. "We inform all Offenbach elementary school about the offer every year."
Bus driver Stephan Adam has been working for Stadtwerke Offenbach for 18 years and has been accompanying the children's bus school for five years. "The children are very open and curious at this age. We practise correct behavior directly at the bus stop and on the bus. This is much easier to remember than pure theory."
His colleague Daniel Bircea is now also part of the children's bus school team. He has also been driving buses in Offenbach for 18 years - including on school buses. "I have children myself and know how important it is to get to school safely. That's why I'm happy to support the children's bus school."
Practical training in bus driving
During the children's bus school, pupils practise getting on and off the bus safely and learn the most important rules for traveling by bus. In addition to the topic of safety, the drivers also teach them how to treat each other with consideration.
The children also learn how to read a timetable, where tickets can be bought and what to do if something is forgotten on the bus.
A special highlight for many classes is the photo shoot in the driver's seat: each child is allowed to sit in the front seat once and have their photo taken by the class teacher. At the end, the pupils receive a pencil case with a card summarizing the most important information about bus travel.
A look behind the scenes at the depot
At the end of the children's bus school, the classes travel together with the bus drivers to the Stadtwerke depot in Hebestraße. There, the children are given an insight into the control center, where, among other things, lost property is handed in.
The trip through the car wash is particularly popular: the children are allowed to remain seated in the bus while the large brushes clean the vehicle. The team then takes the classes back to school.
The children's bus school has been an integral part of road safety education in Offenbach for many years. It helps children to gain safety and confidence in dealing with buses and road traffic.