Ottawa children preparing for a safe school year at safety awareness event

Amanda Wolfe walking with her daughter Elizabeth at School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day. (Jackie Perez/CTV News Ottawa)

It’s a big step off the school bus that marks a big year ahead for Elizabeth Wolfe because in a few weeks, she'll be starting junior kindergarten.

"It's a big change," said proud mom Amanda Wolfe.

"When your kid is in daycare or preschool, you're in charge of dropping them off and picking them up. It's really nice to have this opportunity to kind of preview and practice with your child what that will be like."

Several families took part in School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day hosted by the Ottawa Safety Council and the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) on Sunday.

Children and their parents learned all about the rules of the road and how to stay safe on the bus.

"She’s so excited, I think I'm more nervous than her," said parent Dilys Chuinkam, who brought daughter Lily to the preview.

“So that's one of the reasons why I'm here today.”

It's not just about being safe on the bus, but on the streets too.

"Just so that they're familiar with the crosswalk and how they should handle themselves," said Ottawa Safety Council presenter Dorothy Dickie.

"Looking at the pedestrian lights. Just to be safe and diligent."

It's a time of year school bus drivers also look forward to.

"I get to start these guys off on a new life by saying good morning with a big smile on my face and they smile back," said Richard Alexander Panter, who has been dropping off and picking up Ottawa-area school kids for nearly a decade.

But with excitement comes some concern.

The OSTA is short 13 bus drivers heading into the new school year, and that's affecting schools in Nepean and the city's west end.

"We lost half our fleet because they retired and a lot of them didn't want to come back because they were afraid they would catch it," said Panter.

"We've come up about 25 per cent, but there's still more drivers we can use."

The OSTA declined an interview with CTV News on Sunday, but said in a statement on Wednesday that it is committed to ensuring students have safe, reliable and efficient transportation to and from school.

"We recognize the concerns raised by parents and guardians following last year’s challenges, and OSTA is dedicated to delivering on our promises, including more proactive communications about potential cancellations," the authority said.