Join us in an open-ended conversation about children and school buses – and the people who bring them together.
Our coalition continues to grow with public and private operators, as well as parents all seeking a remedy to keep students on the big yellow bus. We are encouraged by this groundswell of support and want to take advantage of it – in order to make permanent and lasting change for students.
How do you think the potential shift to permanent Daylight Saving Time or standard time would impact our daily lives and routines, especially considering the divided approach across various states?
Overall, it is important to remember that insurance companies are interested in their bottom line: if they can settle a claim sooner rather than later it costs them less in labor, and they have an opportunity to increase rates because rates are based on exposure and frequency.
I remain impressed by the matter-of-fact heroism that’s often demonstrated by school bus drivers like Deona Washington who are caught in these situations where the best of us might lose our cool and panic. But, then again, bus drivers are a unique breed.
Most applicants sought grant funding to acquire electric school buses, with propane coming in a distant second. No one indicated plans to purchase compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in this round. That’s not terribly surprising, I suppose, given how few school districts listed the inclusion of CNG buses in their fleets for our 2023 top district fleets survey.
Calendar pages keep flipping toward the mandates set in states like New York and California to transition their school bus fleets from diesel to zero-emission, but there’s plenty of reluctance and pushback.
Today, California prides itself on utilizing the most zero-emission (ZE) school buses in the country with over 1,689 being used by California school districts; and while the state is on a positive health trajectory thanks to a decree to eliminate gas and diesel vehicles, more work needs to be done to improve children’s well-being.
There are 500,000 ICE school buses in the United States that need to be replaced. Currently there are 33,000 ICE and electric school buses produced each year. At the current production rate, it will take a minimum of 15 years to turn over the school bus fleet to electric.
Bus drivers are the primary caretakers of children during their commute and thus bear responsibility for their safety. By prioritizing proper operating procedures, maintenance checks, and additional precautions, drivers can help avoid the loss of precious young lives under their care.
FMCSA proposes to amend certain Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to ensure the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS)-equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto the nation’s roadways. The proposed changes to the CMV operations, inspection, repair, and maintenance regulations prioritize safety and security, promote innovation, foster a consistent regulatory approach to ADS-equipped CMVs, and recognize the difference between human operators and ADS.
How can school transportation professionals make stronger and healthier connections with the student passengers aboard their buses? School Bus Fleet seeks your insights.
One could easily catch the themes NAPT wanted to capture for its members, from professional growth and leadership to battling driver shortages to adapting to new school transportation technologies.
One concern that is not being addressed is that we are putting all our efforts towards electricity, and having a singular power system could leave us with no backups or alternatives in the future.
Sharon Orr writes that it's more important than ever to master risk management in school transportation, noting "it's better to not have bus transportation than to have buses that are poorly maintained and driven by unsafe operators."
School Bus Fleet ConneX made its triumphant post-COVID return with school transportation directors and vendors connecting and sharing insights.
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