That's what I was thinking. I seldom see kids waiting for a school bus without a parent waiting with them. According tom the article, the dad drove behind her.
I see parents driving their children 150 yards to the bus stop and waiting with them in the car until the bus arrives. This is on a suburban cul-de-sac with sidewalks, not on the U.S Highway or an isolated country road.
My theory is that once the first parent does this, it sets a coddling standard that others feel they have to meet.