TORONTO — In a two-week “safety blitz” last month, 94 percent of Ontario’s school buses met or exceeded provincial safety standards.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation randomly inspected 1,903 buses from March 17-28 for mechanical fitness, evidence of daily vehicle inspections and driver qualifications.
The ministry ordered minor repairs on 92 buses and took 12 off the road for significant repairs.
“The safety of the province's children who ride to school every day in a bus is of paramount importance,” Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said. “We have tough standards for school bus safety, and we will continue to enforce them.”
Bradley said that his ministry would meet with pupil transportation officials to discuss how to further increase the safety of children.
John Sharp, president of the Ontario School Bus Association, said that while his group was pleased with the inspection results, “We will not be satisfied until all school buses pass inspection. On student safety, our goal is perfection.”
Ontario requires that all of its 18,000 school buses undergo inspection at least twice a year. Companies caught operating an unsafe bus face fines of up to $20,000.
Prosecutors plan to seek additional criminal charges against Johnthony Walker, the driver in the fatal November crash. However, he is eligible for alternative sentencing, his attorney says.
In a committee hearing, Rep. Steve Cohen questions why federal regulators have not initiated a rulemaking to require lap-shoulder belts on school buses in light of recent crashes.
Winners of the association’s 2017 honors include Barry Stock of Landmark Student Transportation, Kyle Martin of TransPar, and Manuel Vasquez of First Student.
The president of Suffolk Transportation Service in New York wins School Bus Fleet’s annual honor for exemplary private operators.
An Idaho program's drivers would be tested on requirements such as being able to lift 50 pounds. The proposed testing follows a crash that injured dozens of junior high students.
David Mansfield of Minnesota, Billy Wiseman of West Virginia, and Hannah Beard of Missouri place first in the competition’s three school bus categories.
State inspectors are now using tablets to inspect buses and report results electronically, making the process more efficient.
The National School Transportation Association will host the 47th Annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition on July 15 and 16 near Indianapolis, Indiana.
The video technology supplier increases the storage capabilities of its high-definition bus video recording system to 4 terabytes for over two years’ worth of recording time.
The Wisconsin driver is taken to the hospital with minor injuries after he veers off of a sharp curve in foggy conditions and his bus rolls over and comes to rest on its side in a corn field. No students were aboard.
Police say that the fire caused more than $30,000 in damage to the school bus.
Students can submit entries to the company’s annual United Against Bullying Coloring Contest to win prizes to help their schools spread kindness. A poster contest is included for older students this year.
The TomTom Bridge with GPSi software is designed to help streamline routing, scheduling vehicle maintenance, and other tasks.
The 11-year-old girl is left on the bus during a heat wave after a bus driver reportedly fails to complete a child check. She is found uninjured in the back of the bus up to two hours later.
A custodian arrives at the Novato (Calif.) USD bus yard late at night and spots two people syphoning gasoline from storage tanks. He snaps photos as the pair flees in a box van.
California District to Cut General-Education School Bus Service
