HEADLINES
Think of Us as a Barrier to the
Elements...
School Bus Inspections Vary But Student Safety a Common Theme
Differences from state to state can be magnified when it comes to school bus in-
spections. Florida no longer has state inspectors. Instead, district-level employees are certified to conduct proper inspections. “Te Florida Department of Education used to audit districts on their inspections,
but that practice was discontinued due to DOE budget shortfalls,” explained Mike Con- nors, director of transportation at Brevard District Schools and president of the Florida Association for Pupil Transportation. All 67 Florida school districts are required to have trained/certified school bus inspectors and all school buses must be inspected every 30 days. South Carolina shares a similar practice, with inspectors being certified by the state
during a two-day training program that requires both written and hands-on testing. Each fleet of buses is required to be certified on a schedule not to exceed once every six weeks. “I never miss the opportunity to emphasize that good inspections are the key to safe
Seat Covers Securements
Fabricated Interior Parts
school buses. If we perform thorough and consistent inspections with appropriate re- pairs, we are taking a major step toward ensuring that every school bus on the road is a safe school bus,” said Marshall Casey, director for maintenance in the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Transportation. New York state fleets are given different letter grades for any failures, from A to D. Similar
to health department grades, this allows the fleet owner to continue to use the bus during the 15-day period in which repairs must be made. In neighboring New Jersey, fleet buses either pass or fail. Still, the biggest confusion comes from the definition of inspection. “In the past they confused the word inspection between the annual state level inspec-
tions and the preventative measure inspections (PMI), which are recommended by the manufacturers,” said Joe Scesny, the retired motor vehicle inspection supervisor at the New York State Department of Transportation. Although PMIs parallel state inspections, state inspections highlight different con-
...That’s why we design and fabricate to the highest standards, using the best quality materials available.
Built to Perform. OEM Quality... Because It Matters
Visit our website or call for information.
www.besi-inc.com 800-543-8222
Supplier Council Member
struction standards for buses, like ensuring there are crossing gates on new buses, if the state requirements call for them. PMIs, on the other hand, include changing fluids. A national recommended standard exists in the National School Transportation
Specifications and Procedures (NSTSP). Te section covers basic out-of-service criteria that can be used in all states but not individually-mandated equipment. “It would be fantastic if the nation had a minimum inspection criteria,” added Scesny. Recently, NASDPTS surveyed members on state inspections. Te lead on the project,
South Carolina’s Don Tudor, was sorting through the responses at this report. “I’m excited about the results, because we’ve never really looked at the differences of our
state inspection processes and requirements,” said NASDPTS President and Arkansas State Director Mike Simmons, whose department oversees inspections of all school buses once a year while each district is required to perform two annual inspections that they keep on file. Until 2005, Arkansas districts inspected their own buses, about 500 a year. “We’ve seen an improvement in overall maintenance year to year,” added Simmons.
“We have had, on average, less than 10 percent fail.” But despite general compliance with the NSTSP guidelines, those programs can differ.
As a result, states must not rest on their laurels. Lt. Ray Robinson of the Tennessee High- way Patrol warned that inspecting buses and training drivers can become too routine. “We constantly have to remember how precious the children are being transported.
Also, with the economy being relaxed, we have to make sure that the cuts are not in equipment preventive maintenance,” said Robinson. “My advice to any district would be not to prepare for the inspection but rather continue and improve the local pre- ventive maintenance program. We are in the business of safe transportation, not just passing inspection.” ■
24 School Transportation News Magazine August 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60