INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS Thomas Built Buses Redesigns Its Commercial Saf-T-Liner C2
School bus manufactur- er Tomas Built Buses redesigned its flagship Type C conventional, the Saf-T-Liner C2, as a commercial bus. En-
hancements to the exterior and interior design that make the school bus well suited for commercial and coach bus applica- tions that require long-distance commuting, the company said. Tomas is marketing the new C2 to tour operators for use as city
Federal Payroll-Tax Extension
Signed Into Law President Barack Obama signed legislation on Feb.
22 to extend the payroll tax cut through 2012. Te $143-billion measure also extends unemployment benefits until the end of the year and averts major cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors. Te House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the
measure that continues the two percentage-point reduction in the tax that funds Social Security, a cut initiated last year to aid the nation’s economic recov- ery. Te Obama administration estimates that this legislation will equate to an extra $40 per paycheck for a worker earning $50,000 a year. But this extension postpones until December a
mix of taxing and spending decisions to cover the $143 billion cost. Te National School Transportation Association reports almost any pay-for is very con- troversial. Democrats want the surtax on individuals earning more than $1 million, while Republicans sup- port the pay freeze for government workers. “It is likely some balance of spending reductions
and revenue increases will be necessary to achieve passage,” said NSTA.
buses, university transit and shuttle buses and by church groups and sports teams. Te new C2 also features smooth sides with- out school bus guardrails, as well as larger, solid-pane windows and optional coach-style recliner seating. “We are no strangers to the commercial bus business, and we
are excited to bring an updated look for the Saf-T-Liner C2 to the market,” said Ed Swaim, Tomas’ C2 product manager. Te updates were made in response to customer requests, which also drove recent style school bus models.
redesigns of the EFX and HDX transit-
STN Media Group Acquires National Conference on Transporting Students with
Disabilities & Preschoolers STN Media Group, the parent company of School Transpor-
tation News, acquired the National Conference and Exhibition on Transporting Students with Special Needs & Preschool- ers (TSD) event from Edupro Group. Under the deal finalized March 8, STN will produce the event starting in 2013. Te dates and site of next year’s show were not finalized at press time. STN assumed full control at the conclusion of this year’s 21st
annual conference in Orlando, Fla., held March 10–14. Roseann Schwaderer, owner of Edupro Group and founder of TSD, will remain involved with the event through December 2013 as con- ference chair and STN advisor. Te dates and location of next year’s show are still to be determined. “We are extremely pleased to have earned the trust and con-
fidence of Roseann Schwaderer to continue the tradition of training and educating transporters of students with special needs,” said Bill Paul, founder of School Transportation News and board chairman of STN Media. “Te synergy between this conference and the STN EXPO offer exciting opportunities.”
NHTSA Releases Proposed Guidelines for Driver Distraction Te U.S. Department of
Transportation announced the first-ever federally proposed guidelines on driver distraction to encourage vehicle manufacturers to limit the distraction risk for in- terior electronic devices. Te NHTSA-issued guidelines
are geared toward vehicles with a 10,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating or less. Type A-1
14 School Transportation News Magazine April 2012
school buses fall under this category. Te guidelines represent the first in a series of guidance docu-
ments NHTSA will issue to address sources of distraction that require use of the hands and/or diversion of the eyes from the primary task of driving. Final guidelines will be issued after the agency reviews and responds to public input. Meanwhile, the California Office of Traffic Safety said overall traf-
fic deaths fell by 22 percent in states with laws prohibiting motorists from using hand-held cell phones while driving. In addition to the drop in total traffic deaths, researchers also found that fatalities of motorists who used hand-held cell phones decreased by 47 percent.
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