In an effort to further safeguard the child under their charge, Indianapolis Public Schools unveiled the purchase of 100 propane school buses outfitted with lap-shoulder seat belts.
The new buses are manufactured by IC Bus and come equipped with BTI Seating, which, combined with the IMMI SafeGuard three-point lap-shoulder belts, promise the safest ride possible for students and ease of upgrades for the district.
“What we do know about safety and the restraints that we have, is not only is it an opportunity to keep the students in their seats, but when students are in their seats, there’s a dramatic reduction in behavior issues, bullying, those types of things, so this is a great opportunity,” said Lewis Ferebee, superintendent of IPS.
The Indiana school district is one of several to follow last year’s recommendation from NHTSA administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind, who advised school districts nationwide to add lap-shoulder seat belts to their school buses.
“I applaud this initiative because it’s truly a decision that puts the wellbeing of our students first,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said.
Based in Westfield, Indiana, IMMI is one of the largest manufacturers of seat belts for school buses and child safety seating components in the country.
The decision to install SafeGuard seat belts should save the largest school district in the state money in configurations and repairs, according to IMMI.
“We’re proud to partner with a district the size of IPS, especially in our home state, as they lead the charge to keep students safer on the school bus by adding seat belts,” said Tom Anthony, president of IMMI.
The district has also sought out alternative fueling options with this purchase, shying away from diesel with the propane-powered IC Bus CE Series.
“We are excited to refresh nearly half of our fleet with the propane powered CE Series buses and look forward to seeing the benefit of using an alternative, clean burning fuel to transport our students safely and on time,” said Monica Coburn, transportation director of IPS.
Purpose-built for the school bus industry, the 100 new buses operate on the Power Solutions International (PSI) 8.8-liter LP propane engine, which “demonstrates our customers’ continued confidence in our products and acknowledges the significant benefits of our propane engine offering,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus.
“IC Bus is proud to partner with Indianapolis Public Schools and we look forward to helping them with their transportation needs for this school year and beyond,” Reed added.
