BRADFORD, Ontario — Students within several local school districts will soon be riding on buses fueled with biodiesel. This comes after Parkview Transit, a school and charter bus contractor hired by the districts, announced that it is beginning its initial phase of switching from diesel fuel to a biodiesel blend.

Over the next year, Parkview will begin using a biodiesel blend in one-third of its buses. The primary reason for the switch, said Jon Knowles, president of Parkview Transit, is that this will help reduce the schoolchildren's exposure to fuel emissions. It will also reduce fleet maintenance costs.

Biodiesel fuel has recently become a popular alternative to petroleum-based fuel. Made from sources such as soybean, corn and canola oils, in its purest form biodiesel can produce 60 to 100 percent less emissions than petroleum diesel, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Parkview Transit opened in 1974 and currently operates 375 school buses. The company is based in Bradford.