Jordan School District Bus Driver Awarded “Utah’s Bus Driver of the Year”

By Aimee L. Cook

 South Valley - Lydia Hart does not feel like she did anything any other bus driver in the situation on that day in March would not have done. Everyday she drives more than 200 students to and from school with one goal in mind—get them to their destinations safely.  

Call it a mother’s intuition or 14 years of training and experience, because Hart felt something the day she dropped that kindergartener off at his drop-off point after school in Bluffdale, and she probably saved his life.  

“This boy lives in a gated community so I always make sure he goes through the gates when I drop him off,” Hart said. “On that day, I pulled away slowly looking in my mirrors to make sure he went in. I saw a car that I did not recognize approach him and he walked over to the car. I stopped my bus and watched. He was talking to someone in the car, and then would look at me, turn back to the person in the car and shake his head. I had a bus full of kids so I could not leave my bus but I waited and watched until the car finally left.”

It turned out that the boy did not know the people in the car, and his parents believe that had Hart not waited and watched, they would have abducted him. 

Because of her efforts, as well as several other things Hart does on a daily basis, like sing to the little kids on her bus, Director of Transportation for the Jordan School District, Herb Jensen, nominated Hart for the award that is given by The Utah Safety Council. 

“Lydia is one of those drivers that is a model driver,” Jensen said. “The kids love being on her bus, she is always on time, she does everything right and is a wonderful person. In this case, Lydia went beyond her job description and the child’s parents attribute his safety and even his life to her actions. She is a hero to me.” 

Hart was awarded “Utah’s Bus Driver of the Year” by the Utah Safety Council. The Utah Safety Council has been working to make Utah a safe place to work and live for 75 years. They provide training, safety materials and other resources to the community and businesses. 

“Our children are the most important parts of our lives and transporting them is not an easy task,” Rod Hamson, president of the Utah Safety Council said.

“We are honored to recognize Lydia as our Professional Bus Driver of the Year. She has demonstrated her commitment to their safety while on her bus and has shown her concern for each of them as they leave.”