From fueling training to regular tank inspection to a properly equipped maintenance facility, there are many factors to consider when operating school buses on propane autogas and compressed natural gas to ensure employees’ well-being. Industry officials discuss these and other components, along with the built-in safety features of some of today’s buses.

The director of transportation and fleet service at Colorado’s Adams 12 Five Star Schools has orchestrated adjustments to school bell times to make busing more efficient, for an overall savings of $900,000. He has also set up mechanic apprenticeship programs to help young people enter the field.

From operating alternative-fueled vehicles to installing pollution-control equipment on buses to reducing idling, pupil transportation operations are doing their part to provide a healthy and safe ride to and from school for students. Here, we provide details on these and other environmentally friendly practices at school districts and contractors throughout the country.

From diesel particulate filters to diesel oxidation catalysts to crankcase filtration systems to a hybrid system, there are numerous products available to the industry. Their emission-reduction capabilities range from 20 to more than 90 percent, and they can be applied to a variety of engines and school buses.

As school districts face growing budgetary concerns, fleet operators are cutting costs by using green technology and implementing eco-friendly policies.