WASHINGTON, D.C. — Terry Thomas, chair of National School Transportation Association's Government Relations Committee, told Congress Wednesday that fuel price increases threaten the safety of schoolchildren. In testimony delivered before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Thomas warned that reductions in school bus service as a result of higher fuel prices will increase congestion, pollution and overall fuel consumption; but most important, reductions in school bus service will result in more child deaths as students are forced into higher risk transportation. Already, schools across the country have reacted to increased energy costs by eliminating sports and activity trips, charging parents for bus service, increasing walking distances and shifting students from school buses to public transit. Thomas compared the 20 fatalities nationwide among the 25 million students who ride the school bus to and from school with the 800 fatalities nationwide among the 20 million students who do not take the bus. He urged Congress to provide the resources to ensure that dedicated school bus systems continue to protect our children. Thomas suggested the following relief measures as ways to help mitigate fuel costs: 1) Use of federal highway congestion mitigation funding for the purchase of new school buses and for a national public education campaign to encourage greater use of school buses. 2) Federal assistance to school districts to offset the increased cost of fuel, regardless of whether the districts operate their own vehicles or contract for that purpose. 3) An investment tax credit or other incentives for bus manufacturers to encourage production of energy-efficient and alternative-power buses. 4) An energy tax credit for school bus companies to encourage the purchase of cleaner, more energy-efficient fleets and the infrastructure necessary to operate them. 5) Funding to assist with federal mandates to meet safety, environmental and security standards. Thomas noted that in a recent SCHOOL BUS FLEET survey, 60% of school districts reported an increase in ridership due to increased fuel costs. This puts schools and their contractors in a difficult financial irony: They are being asked to accommodate more students for the same reason that they are being forced to cut service. It’s a situation that can’t be resolved without additional resources — resources the industry hopes Congress will provide.