Maryland contractor adds propane school bus to fleet

GLEN BURNIE, Md. — School bus company Jubb’s Bus Service Inc. has put the first school bus fueled by propane autogas in the state of Maryland into operation for the 2015-16 school year.

Anne Arundel County students boarded the Blue Bird Vision Propane bus on Tuesday.

“With the rising costs of diesel maintenance and our interest in incorporating green technologies, it was time to explore our options,” said Randall Jubb, president of Jubb’s Bus Service. “We are the first contractor in Maryland to offer a school bus fueled by emissions-reducing propane autogas to an area school district — and we have plans to transition 20% of our fleet to autogas in the future.”

The new Type C bus, equipped with a Ford 6.8L V10 engine, replaces an older diesel bus. A propane fuel system manufactured by ROUSH CleanTech powers the bus.

Sharp Energy installed an onsite autogas fuel station with 1,000-gallon capacity. The infrastructure can expand to 4,000 gallons as the need arises.

“We are proud to partner with a forward-thinking company like Jubb’s Bus Service Inc.,” said Brian Carney, group account director for ROUSH CleanTech. “They’re joining over 500 other school districts nationwide experiencing the benefits of propane autogas technology: lowering operating costs, maintenance costs and emissions.”

The propane bus will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by over 1,200 pounds and more than 30 pounds of particulate matter each year compared with the diesel bus it is replacing, according to ROUSH CleanTech.

Additionally, Jubb’s Bus Service currently pays almost 45% less for propane compared with diesel.

“Blue Bird provides school bus contractors with innovative and cost-effective green transportation solutions for [their] school district customers,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corp. “Through its research, Jubb’s Bus Service Inc. decided that Blue Bird’s Vision Propane bus is the best choice for reducing fuel and maintenance costs while providing cleaner air for the community.”