NYC: New school bus contracts to save $210 million

The New York City mayor and education chancellor report that the school busing contracts that were opened up for public bid last spring and awarded in May will save the city an estimated $210 million over the next five years. The savings is in addition to the $100 million saved from bids awarded last winter and the $95 million saved from pre-K contracts that were publicly bid in 2011.

Webasto unveils new timer for engine pre-heaters

Company officials say that the SmarTemp Control fx Timer, which was on display at the National Association for Pupil Transportation trade show, is easy to program for repeat heating duration times. It allows up to four different timer settings per day.

Hydrotex issues tips to prevent fuel problems in winter

The company, which manufactures and distributes high-performance lubricant and fuel improver solutions, says that annual fuel tank inspections can help in diagnosing any potential problems, such as water contamination, biological growth and sediment that might be present in the tanks. Hydrotex also says that treating fuel with a winterizing additive can minimize problems.

Weather: Sun, Snow and Rainbows

Police: Snowballs lead to two-bus crash

Students in Sioux City, Iowa, pelt a school bus with snowballs as it leaves a high school, according to police. The school bus stops suddenly, and a transit bus is unable to stop in time and rear-ends the school bus.

Snapshots — Fall 2012/Winter 2013

Zonar awards $50K grants to school bus companies

Don Carnahan, vice president of business development for Zonar, presents the grants to five contractors at the National School Transportation Association’s Annual Mid-Winter Meeting. The money can be used to outfit school buses with the hardware parts needed to utilize Zonar technology.

Thomas Built launches corrosion protection treatments

The school bus OEM’s new FleetShield, for the Saf-T-Liner C2, includes three different treatments to shield specific vehicle parts that are particularly susceptible to corrosion and weather damage.

District preps for winter with safety competition

Bus drivers at Washoe County School District in Reno, Nev., compete in the “Chain Championship” to be the best and fastest at getting chains on their buses’ tires. The competition is part of the transportation department’s priority to transport students to and from school during the winter months without incident.

Snapshots — Winter, Spring, Summer 2012