Brake recall puts strain on fleets
TORRANCE, Calif. — For many school bus fleets, the 2000-01 school year was ushered in with the discomforting news that as many as 300,000 vehicles, including 46,000 buses, had faulty antilock brake systems (ABS). First word of the defective ABS units came in an Aug. 30 letter sent by Thomas Built Buses to its customers. The letter warned that buses manufactured between March 1998 and August 2000 and equipped with Bendix ABS EC-17 electronic control units had a defect that could result in an “inability to stop the vehicle. . . .” Other school bus manufacturers, including Blue Bird Corp. and International Truck and Engine Corp., also notified customers of the defective brake unit and provided instructions on how to inspect vehicles for problems. Bob Peters, transportation director at Liverpool (N.Y.) Central School District, said news of the defective ABS units reached him in waves. “When I first heard of the recall, it was only Thomas buses,” he said. It turned out that none of his Thomas buses had the defective Bendix unit. Later, he discovered that Blue Bird buses were also affected. “As it turned out, 28 of my Blue Bird buses had the Bendix system,” he said. “Real fast work by my Blue Bird distributor and my mechanics had the control units changed or the proper inspection performed before the buses went out on the road.” For its part, Bendix released a letter from its president, Sandra Beach Lin, describing the problem and assuring customers that replacement electronic control units would be available by mid-October. Bendix has established a toll-free call center for anyone requesting more information about the recall. The call center operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST) and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST). The phone number is 800/478-1793.
NSTA's executive director resigns
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Karen Finkel, executive director of the National School Transportation Association (NSTA), resigned her post on Sept. 29. Finkel had spent 19 years in the position. NSTA President Terry Thomas said Finkel informed the association’s board of directors of her decision in July and had been working to solidify member service programs and to create a seamless transition to new leadership. “Karen leaves some pretty big shoes to fill,” Thomas said. “Fortunately, and as a direct result of nearly two decades of hard work, she leaves the NSTA in a great position to grow even stronger while she moves on to tackle new challenges.” The NSTA, which represents the school bus contractor segment of the pupil transportation industry, was founded in 1964. It provides its members with a unified voice on the state and federal levels.
