Senovia Castillo, a UTRGV bus driver, will go head-to-head in skillful competition with drivers from several transit entities in the Rio Grande Valley in February at the 2019 Bus Roadeo.
Although apprehensive about UTRGV’s internal bus roadeo last June, Castillo was able to top her fellow peers by placing first overall.
“It was fun. I really did not want to participate, but Mr. [Gabriel] Zuñiga made it fun,” Castillo said, referring to UTRGV’s director of transportation.
The Bus Roadeo is a yearly event that puts drivers’ technique to the test in a variety of comprehensive and hands-on obstacles.
Not only does the event test the participants, but it also gives them the opportunity to network with others across the Valley, state and nation.
The competition consists of three levels: regional, state and national.
February will be UTRGV’s first year competing in regionals.
Public transit drivers from the City of McAllen, City of Brownsville, Valley Metro and more will compete for a chance to qualify in state competition.
Last summer, UTRGV held a Bus Roadeo in Edinburg for its employees that mimicked the actual event.
“I decided to do one internally, just for us, to kinda give them the idea of what to expect,” Zuñiga said.
The roadeo consisted of eight different obstacles that tested the drivers’ braking, curving skills and more.
Castillo and her peers utilized a Gillig bus to complete the practice course because they are considered a more traditional type of transit bus and will be the ones utilized in state and national competitions, Zuñiga said.
“Girls do rule! Not only men,” Castillo said when asked about her overall performance.
Jose Ibarra, the transportation supervisor on the Brownsville campus, served as a judge in this summer’s competition and not only mentioned Castillo’s excellent performance, but also the importance of the event.
“Not only is it a fun activity, but it is also for the drivers to practice safety and also train on whatever areas they need to train on to provide better service for the passengers,” Ibarra said.
The location of the regional competition is yet to be voted on and confirmed by the Regional Transportation Advisory Panel.
Vaquero Express is part of RTAP, as is every transit agency in the Valley, along with other transportation entities, Zuñiga told The Rider.
“We’re hoping that it’ll be somewhere in UTRGV, we just don’t know exactly where,” Zuñiga said. “Again, we have to go through the committee so that we can vote on where we are going to have it, but the idea has been to host it here at UTRGV, more than likely the Edinburg campus.”
Drivers will compete in the bus portion of the event only, according to Zuñiga.
Winners of the regional competition will advance to the State Bus Roadeo, which will include a comprehensive portion.
State competition will take place in March.
Castillo has been an employee of the university since Aug. 1, 2016. She was previously employed as a bus driver by IDEA Quest and the Edinburg School District.
“To me, being a driver, is responsibility,” Castillo said. “No matter the age of the passengers, they are considered precious cargo and to me, even though they are old enough or older than me, they are considered my children.”
Castillo, Edwardo Arteaga and Luis Garcia have qualified to represent the UTRGV Vaquero Express in the regional contest.
In other UTRGV transportation news, Ibarra will receive an Accessibility Achievement Award at the third annual UTRGV Accessibility Achievement Award Ceremony in El Gran Salón on Friday.
Ibarra was nominated by students after his involvement in the construction of a wheelchair-accessible ramp and sidewalk for a passenger with disabilities at Casa Bella Apartments in Brownsville.
