The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) has announced that 17 - year veteran bus operator, Percy Hagenbuch, was awarded second place in the 39th annual Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA) Bus and Paratransit Roadeo, held on August 6 and 7, 2016, at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
The Roadeo, hosted this year by the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS), tests the driving skills and knowledge of public bus fixed-route and paratransit operators from across the state, providing an opportunity for drivers to engage with other peer agency employees in a competitive environment.
In a simulation of real driving conditions, drivers are, among other tasks, provided with seven minutes to manuever a 40’ bus through an obstacle course 300’ wide and 500’ long. The drivers navigate around the course and through tight serpentine turns and diminishing clearances, carry out tight right and left turns and right and left reverse turns in narrow lanes, and simulate passenger pick-ups. Points are deducted when drivers hit cones, fail to come within a certain distance of a stop, etc.
This year, twenty-eight drivers from across the state participated in the competition. Hagenbuch, the only CATA driver to attend, placed second in the fixed-route competition, behind only Zenon (John) Rinylo of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
“Percy’s performance in the Roadeo and in day-to-day driving epitomizes CATA’s commitment to safety and dependability,” noted Louwana Oliva, CATA general manager. “He is a great role model for his peers, both at CATA and across the state.”
Percy has participated and placed in numerous regional and state roadeos in the past. Of his interest in the event, he noted “I’m an easy going guy who loves to participate in the roadeos because it sharpens your driving skills every year."
