INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS Alabama Considering Bill to Ban
Bus Drivers’ Cell Phone Use After receiving overwhelming support from the Alabama House, a
bill to prohibit school bus operators from using cell phones while driv- ing has moved to the Senate for debate. An exception to the proposal would allow bus drivers to use a mobile phone during an emergency. At this writing, the House voted 83-1 for the bill by Rep. Joe Hubbard. HB 229 specifies that mobile telephones are not limited only to cell
phones but also include any device a driver communicates with by us- ing at least one hand, including CB or other two-radio radios. Anyone violating the proposed law would face a $500 fine. Drivers would still be able to use two-way radios if pulled over to the side of the road and the bus is not in operations.
Te bill, which still needs the governor’s signature if it passes the Senate, defines emergencies as threats to public safety, medical con-
cerns, unsafe road conditions or mechanical troubles. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia prohibit school bus drivers from using cell phones while transporting children, while nine states have banned all drivers from using handheld cell phones while behind the wheel. Other states may have similar bans in their school bus driver manuals, and school districts often have their own regulations.
South Carolina School Bus Privatization Bill Amended
But Issue Still Not Resolved At this writing, county school districts still weren’t sure
what to expect come fall in terms of their transportation services, as the state legislature has get to vote on a bill re- quiring the South Carolina Department of Education to turn over school busing to local district control. Amendments to H. 4610 were approved in March would no longer subject homeowners to paying taxes benefiting school operations. Bill opponents feared taxpayers would be left footing the bill for the fleet transition, while others worried that school districts would be saddled with new costs in the millions if forced to take over school bus operations or outsource these services. If passed, school districts would have one year starting this July to solicit bids from school bus con- tractors to provide service. Contractors would be required to consider employing existing school bus drivers and main- tenance staff if taking on the service for a local district. But districts could also choose to own and operate their fleets.
Zonar’s New Fuel-Based GPS Tracking Technology Targets Fuel Costs Zonar Systems has announced new patent-pending tech-
nology that adds fuel as a fifth dimension to the firm’s HD-GPS reporting. Zonar’s vehicle telematics platforms have always utilized four-dimensional — latitude, longitude, time and odometer — GPS reporting. Tis methodology ensures data are captured and transmitted only when necessary, not just based on an established schedule. Now, with the addition of fuel as the fifth dimension, its telematics platforms will not only determine sample rates based on geographical data but also fuel consumption. Employing Zonar’s new technology, fleets will be able to
easily identify the routes and lanes over which their vehicles are the most and least fuel-efficient. Te GPS sampling density increases when fuel consumption increases or “spikes” and re- laxes when fuel consumption decreases or is relatively static. In addition to five-dimensional data sampling, Zonar’s telematics platforms transmit engine fault codes and verified electronic vehicle inspection data in real-time.
Big Winner!
When school bus driver Audrey Childers of Mount Holly, N.C., won the Carolina Cash 5 lottery in late February, she said she would use her $283,484 prize to buy a new home. Childers had one of two winning tickets that split a $566,968 Cash 5 jackpot in the Feb. 11 drawing.
18 School Transportation News Magazine May 2012
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