FMCSA Extends Comment Period on NPRM for
New CDL Interim Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2008) — Proposed rule argued to put more restrictions on interim CDL holders and trainers, especially those in the school transportation profession.

Caterpillar, Navistar Enter Global Alliance for Truck and Engine Development

(June 12, 2008) — Manufacturers to team on future development of MaxxForce engines for school buses; Cat also announces no branded engine solution for 2010.

Alabama Looks at Lap-Shoulder Belts, Fuel Prices

AUBURN, Ala. (June 10, 2008) — Attendees at the 66th annual state conference discuss the pilot lap-shoulder belt study and the cost of fuel under a shrinking budget.

Minnesota Gets Office of Pupil Transportation Safety

ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 27, 2008) — Law means new director, new responsibility for state that has never had an office exclusively for pupil transportation.

FTA Seeks to Strengthen Definitions of Tripper Service, School Bus Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 21, 2008) — Feds respond to ruling earlier this year by U.S. district court in Western New York that allowed transit agency to continue providing exclusive school service that violates tripper service rules.

First Student Eyes $1.2 Billion Vehicle Purchase Agreement for IC CE

CINCINNATI (May 14, 2008) — School bus contractor announces potential for one of largest fleet purchases in industry history with initial agreement on Type-C conventional CE Series vehicle order through 2010.

M.A.D.D. Observes 20th Anniversary of
Fatal Kentucky School Bus Crash

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 13, 2008) — Mothers Against Drunk Driving calls for national moment of silence to remember victims of one of the nation's worst drunk driving crashes.

New Final Rule on Charter Bus Service in Effect

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2008) — Among changes are clarification of what constitutes legal charter service by public transit, electronic registration of private providers and more detailed complaint, hearing and appeal procedures.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 29, 2008) — Two contractors shared their plan to put together a report to Congress this summer during the first day of the National School Transportation Association's annual Spring meeting at the nation's Capitol.

Los Angeles Wins Grant for More CNG Buses

LOS ANGELES (April 25, 2008) — The biggest CNG fleet in California just bigger, following a grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

School Buses Doing Their Part to Celebrate Earth Day, Reduce Emissions

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (April 22, 2008) — As districts across the country celebrate Earth Day, the school bus industry weighs in with how it can help to further reduce the carbon footprint with school buses.

Proposed Rule Targets New Commercial Drivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 10, 2008) — States would be required to issue tests and other requirements for Commercial License Permit and follow other oversight rules before issuing a CDL. Proposed rule would also affect those seeking a new school bus endorsement.

EPA Announces $49.2 Million for Diesel Emissions Reduction

Washington, D.C. (April 4, 2008) — School buses will compete with other diesel vehicles for diesel emissions grant funding for the first time.

Virginia Public Schools to Look at Transporting Private Students

(March 31, 2008) — Local groups will meet to look at what it would mean to transport private school students on public school buses.

TSA Releases Poster, Updates STSA Web Site

(March 25, 2008) – The Transportation Security Administation is distributing a poster that cautions drivers to watch for suspcious items and behaviors and recently updated its School Transportation Awareness Web site.

Public Transit Ridership Continues Increase, Still Below School Bus Figures

(March 19, 2008) – Largest numbers of public riders in last five decades remains approximately 700,000 less than the number of annual school bus riders, according to industry statistics.

Ontario School Bus Operators to See Relief from Rising Operating Costs

(March 14, 2008) – School boards to receive additional $10.5 million to offset the effects of high fuel prices plus an additional $4.9 million over current funding to meet the provincial cost benchmark of operating a typical 72-passenger school bus.

Thomas Built to Recall More than 93,000 Buses

(March 7, 2008) — Model year 2001 through 2008 buses found to have faulty emergency door handles that can delay evacuation efforts in the case of an emergency.

Van Driver Charged in Fatal Minnesota Crash

COTTONWOOD, Minn. (Feb. 27, 2008) — Vehicular homicide charges handed down in crash that killed four students and injured 13 others; National Transportation Safety Board aids in investigation.

School Bus Driver, Students Save Woman's Life

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (Feb. 15, 2008) — Roxanne Dore was shoeless and frozen to the roadway when school bus driver Robert Chamberlain spotted her in a snow bank. Emergency responders say she likely would have died had Chamberlain and five students not brought her onto their school bus and warmed her in their coats.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Jan. 27, 2008) – A U.S. Federal District Court ruled that a Federal Transit Administration order to a local transit authority to cease illegal school bus tripper service was “arbitrary and capricious” because it was inconsistent with the federal regulations.

NPRM Comment Period Ends, Review Begins

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 25, 2008) — Now that NHTSA’s comment period on the school bus occupant restraint NPRM has ended, it time to analyze the opinions.

Congress Concerned About School Bus Threat Assessments

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 18, 2008) — House Committee on Homeland Security questions TSA on lack of follow-through in performing federally-mandated threat assessment of national school bus system.

IC Corp Announces Price Increases

WARRENVILLE, Ill. (Jan. 7, 2008) — Company does not hide the fact that increases in commodities will cause price of buses to increase in the new year.

Bush Signs Energy Bill, Missing Key Incentives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 19, 2007) — Although some are calling the bill's passage a major step forward in the country’s effort to heal some of the effects of global warming, tax breaks for alternative energy vehicles were removed.

No Timetable for Canadian Seat Belt Regulation

Lap/Shoulder Belts Only for Small Buses

(Nov. 16, 2007) — The clock is ticking on a comment period tied to a new NHTSA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on three-point restraints for all Type A buses, 24-inch high seat back requirements for all school buses and criteria for voluntarily-installed seat belts on large Type C and D buses.

Proposed Bill for Motorcoach Seat Belts Hits Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 8, 2007) — Senators from Ohio and Texas introduce a bill that would require seat belts during interstate travel, which one opponent calls "prescriptive" as it fails to rely on scientific research.

University of Alabama Chosen for Seat Belt Study

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Nov. 6, 2007) — Although the institution was the only one to apply for the grant, its proposal was very thorough and addressed all the items asked for by Gov. Bob Riley's task force, according to the state department of education.

CINCINNATI (Oct. 2, 2007) — It's a new day for North America's new largest school bus contractor as its acquisition of Laidlaw is complete. First Student is forecasted to account for about half of the total annual revenue of FirstGroup America, which includes transit business and the iconic Greyhound.

Collins Industries Purchases Corbeil Bus

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. (Sept. 27, 2007) — Operating company for Collins Bus Corporation and Mid Bus Corporation announces purchase of "select assets" from Canadian small bus manufacturer Corbeil Bus, which announced it closed its doors last week.

Corbeil Ends Long Life in School Bus Industry

SAINT-LIN-LAURENTIDES, Quebec (Sept. 18, 2007) — Canadian small bus OEM ends its 70-year run, which included a sale to Blue Bird in the 1975 and Michel Corbeil buying the company back 10 years later.

Mid Bus to Leave Ohio for Collins Plant in Kansas

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. (Sept. 18, 2007) — Collins Industries, Inc. announced it will close the Bluffton plant on Nov. 9. and move Mid Bus to its facility outside Wichita.

Is GPS Data E-Rate Refundable?

(Sept. 14, 2007) — In the bidding wars over large-scale GPS school bus installations, a definitive answer on whether or not districts are eligible to receive a federal rebate for certain telecommunication services related to data transmission is forthcoming from the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Company .

Unlicensed Driver Ignores Stop-Arm, Kills 17-Year-Old

DAYTON, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2007) — On Friday, an unlicensed driver sped around a stopped school bus at 75 mph in a 45 mph zone, killing 17-year-old high school junior Julian Hill, who had just been dropped off and was crossing the road to make her way home.

Laidlaw-FirstGroup Deal Expected to Close Next Month

(Sept. 4, 2007) — Laidlaw International discloses it and FirstGroup of Scotland are near an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorney generals on the proposed acquisition.

Stolen School Buses Raise Eyebrows in Houston

HOUSTON (Aug. 29, 2007) — Of the 15 school buses that have been reported stolen since January, only two have been recovered, causing local law enforcement to question their disappearance. While authorities are not saying there is a relation to any terrorist activity, they do not disregard the possibility.

NHTSA Updates Seat Belt Docket

Alabama Seat Belt Study Opened to Public for Bidding

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Aug. 20, 2007) — The Alabama school bus seat belt task force met to send out request for proposals for feasibility study.

The Parental Side of the School Bus Seat Belt Coin

(Aug. 14, 2007) — Parents of injured, killed students in 2006 Texas charter school bus crash tell feds, industry of concerns over school bus occupant safety.

Nominees Sought for NAPT-STN Leadership Award

ALBANY, N.Y. & REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2007) — Annual award winner to be announed on Oct. 29 during the NAPT 33rd Annual Conference and Trade Show awards breakfast in Grand Rapids, Mich.

School Bus Inserted into New Federal Threat Assessment Law

(Aug. 13, 2007) — The industry identified Rep. Bob Etheridge of North Carolina as a key advocated to include the yellow school bus in Homeland Security study to Congress.

Durham May Post Diesel Warnings in California

(Aug. 9, 2007) — Durham School Services may replace older school buses with new models under an advanced settlement of an environmental lawsuit. The suit's required signs warning about the danger of diesel exhaust exposure may put more kids at risk, says Laidlaw Education Services.

New State Director has Both Public, Private Experience

(Aug. 6, 2007) — Jerry Ford has done it all in pupil transportation. Ford, 54, begins his second full month as the director of the Office of Student Transportation at the New Jersey Department of Education. He started on June 25, 2007.

RENO, Nev. (July 29, 2007) — Oklahoma state director Randy McLerran wins Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award of Excellence, Blue Bird celebrated its 80th birthday and attendees received a schooling in safety and security, emissions and new technology, Head Start and management topics.

NHTSA Announces NPRM for Large School Bus Occupant Restraints to Come this Fall

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 11, 2007) — NHSTA administrator Nicole Nason moved up a deadline for issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that give states and local school districts more "comprehensive" guidance on how to address such passenger safety issues as 3-point lap-shoulder seat belts and the industry standard of compartmentatlization.

Head Start Announces New Vehicle Options, DOT Study

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 28, 2007) — A new Head Start program instruction announced a third vehicle option for transporting Head Start students and an onongoing U.S. Department of Transportation study “on occupant protection on Head Start transit vehicles.”

AUSTIN, Texas (June 21, 2007) — While some in Texas were surprised and upset by Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of a bill banning unnecessary school bus idling that won strong support in both the house and senate, some attendees at the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation’s 34th Annual Conference and Trade Show in Waco were relieved when they heard the news.

South Carolina Assembly Overrides Veto of School Bus Replacement Bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 15, 2007) — With a new law in the books that sets a 15-year age limit on each state-owned school bus, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford ensures funding for new purchases and increased fuel costs by signing an emergency bill.

Texas School Bus Seat Belts Law Enters Books

(June 8, 2007) — Gov. Mark Sanford attended Beaumont Independent School District on Friday to sign nation's second state law requiring the occupant restraints.

NHTSA to Host School Bus Occupant Protection Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 4, 2007) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing July 11, 2007 as the date of a school bus seat belt summit in the nation's capital.

Cerberus Affiliate to Purchase 80% Stake in Unit of DaimlerChrysler Auto Group to be Named Chrysler Holdings LLC

NEW YORK (May 15, 2007) — Last year, Cerberus Capital Management entered the school bus market with a bang with its September purchase of Blue Bird Corporation. Cerberus continued its aggressive approach in the manufacturing industry this week by announcing its intent to purchase a majority stake in the Chrysler Group automotive business unit of DaimlerChrysler for $7.4 billion.

Congress Told High Fuel Prices for School Buses Impact Environment, Child Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 10, 2007) — NSTA Government Regulations Committee chair Terry Thomas (pictured) testifed on Capitol Hill yesterday before the House committee on global warming to make the case that the school bus industry needs federal support to deal with affect of fuel prices on operations, the enivronment and child safety.

Blue Bird to Close Type A Plant in Canada

(May 8, 2007) — Blue Bird announced today it is closing its Brantford, Ontario manufacturing plant this summer and moving its Micro Bird Type A program to the company’s headquarters in Fort Valley, Ga. It was not immediately known how many Canadian workers would be displaced, as phone messages to Blue Bird representatives seeking comment had yet to be returned.

Connecticut Adopts New School Bus Standard Requiring Crossing Control Arms

(May 4, 2007) — Connecticut became the latest state to require all school buses to be equipped with crossing control arms mounted at the right front bumper.

Parents Create Human Barrier to Protect Children While Crossing

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (May 2, 2007) — In an effort to curb the dangerous habits of drivers in the area, parents of students from Shippensburg Area School District, Pa., formed a human chain to protect their children while crossing Route 11 to reach their bus stop.

NASDPTS Elects Charlie Hood as President-Elect

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 23, 2007) — The National Association of State Directors
of Pupil Transportation Services announced today that Charlie Hood, Florida’s state director of transportation, will replace Charley Kennington as president-elect of the association.

FirstGroup Closer to Purchasing Laidlaw

CINNCINATI (April 20, 2007) — Shareholders of both companies have approved the acquisition of Laidlaw International by FirstGroup. The move brings First Student, the United States subsidiary of Aberdeen, Scotland, based FirstGroup, closer to becoming to becoming the largest private pupil transportation contractor in the United States with nearly 65,000 buses.

Companies Partner to Bid on Chicago GPS Contract

CHICAGO (April 18, 2007) — Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third largest school district in the U.S., recently began the process of reviewing bids for one of the nation’s largest school bus GPS installations. The district is currently reading over bids from eight different providers, including IBM, Cingular Wireless, Edulog and IC Corp.

Thomas Infuses a Little Yellow into Fire Truck Red

HIGH POINT, N.C. (April 4, 2007) — School bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses supplies seven of its Saf-T-Liners to be modified as high-tech ambulance buses capable of transporting up to 20 victims.

Kennington Steps Down as Texas State Director

HOUSTON (March 26, 2007) — Charley Kennington was slated to be the next president of NASDPTS once Derek Graham’s current tenure is up in the fall of 2008. He now will be heading up transportation services at the largest education services center in Texas.

EPA Study Supports Anti-Idling Benefit for Students

NEW YORK (March 20, 2007) — The U.S. EPA Region 2 concluded a study with a New York school district that finds anti-idling measures for school buses greatly reduces the exposure of students to harmful diesel emissions pollutants, in agreement with previous statements made by EPA's Clean School Bus USA program.

Local Media, Blogger, Mistakenly Report Atlanta Crash as School Bus Accident

ATLANTA — The recent bus tragedy in Atlanta that took the lives of five members of a college baseball team, as well as the driver and his wife, has shed an unwanted light on the school bus industry.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Mar. 11, 2007) — The first general session of the 16th Transporting Students with Disabilities & Preschoolers conference began March 11 with a welcome speech by Kay Kennedy, the director for the Kentucky Department of Education’s division of district operations.

First Student Working on Security System for Buses

CINCINNATI (Feb. 19, 2007) — Amid news Laidlaw was being purchased by First Student's parent company, First announces sweeping security changes coming to its entire school bus fleet.

Specialty Manufacturing to Merge with Transit Component Manufacturer

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ( Feb. 15, 2007) – Optimizing customer satisfaction the goal of announcement to join forces with Pretoria Transit. Gray Ellison to become president of both companies.

FirstGroup to Purchase Laidlaw and School Bus Biz

LONDON (Feb. 9, 2007) — A school bus contractor behemoth was emerging amid the news FirstGroup plc was purchasing Laidlaw International for $3.6 billion.

ASBC Shows the Love for School Bus Drivers with Web Site Promoting Valentine's Day Tie-In

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 1, 2007) — The ASBC released a new Web site allowing students across the nation to create Valentine's Day cards for their school bus drivers, as well as related activities for educators to download, all in celebration of the safe transport of 25 million school children each school day.

New York Contractors Receive Favorable Ruling in Tripper Service Violation Case

(Jan. 24, 2007) — Despite pledges to appeal an FTA Region II ruling, the Rochester Genesee Regional Transit Authority in upstate New York was ordered to cease and desist its subsidy busing of students that was found to be in violation of federal tripper service regulations.

Information Sought on School Bus Private Charter Services in Effort to Curb Allegd Price Gouging

SPRING LAKE, Mich. (Jan. 18, 2007) — Busrates.com is attempting to increase the number of listings on its Web site of companies that engage in private charter school bus service to better educate the public on true costs.

Transporting Students with Disabilities
Conference Heads to Bluegrass State

(Jan. 12, 2007) — The First Amendment and how it affects special needs transporters is a key theme of the annual meeting and tradeshow held this year in Louisville, Ky. The theme is “Going All Out: Doing Your Best,” with a special focus on ongoing professional development.

Details Come to Light on Last School Year's National Loading/Unloading Zone Fatalities

TOPEKA, Kan. (updated Jan. 2, 2007) — Total fatalities dropped by 35 percent during the 2005-2006 school year, according to the 36th National School Bus Loading & Unloading Survey, but data indicated a shocking number of student deaths occuring at the school bus rear dual wheel position compared to up front.