Ontario’s governing transportation agency recently sent out notices to school districts on the adoption of the National Safety Code Standard on periodic safety inspections of school buses.
The adoption of the new standards and the supporting amendments to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act Regulations 611 and 601 were not expected to be in use as of July 1, when National Standard NSC11B went into effect, according to the Ontario School Bus Association (OSBA). The ministry is giving the commercial industry as well as school districts/contractors two years to in which to use either the inspection requirements of the “old” Regulation 611 Schedules 1, 2 and 4 for inspections, or the new requirements in the National Standard.
Starting July 1, 2013 all annual, semi-annual and safety standard certificate (SSC) inspections must be conducted using the National Standard. The transition period will give stakeholders time to become more familiar with the new process and criteria. During the interim, OSBA said it would make available the new inspection report forms and mechanic handbooks to help with the switchover.
