INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
NAPT, EPA Survey Student Transporters on School Bus Price Surcharge NAPT sent a request to members this spring asking them to
take a five-minute online survey to help the Environmental Pro- tection Agency determine how it can better assist school districts overcome the latest price surcharges on new school buses. NAPT said EPA will use the information gathered to develop an inno- vative grant program to provide financial support for school districts that face the price increases when purchasing new buses. Te partnership is part of NAPT’s Public Policy Agenda. EPA previously made funding available for school bus purchases as
well as retrofits and engine repowers via the Clean School Bus USA, which has since rolled up under the National Clean Diesel Campaign program. “We are happy to help them gather information and are ex-
cited to work with them to develop a new program that will help the industry nationwide,” said Alexandra Robinson, NAPT presi- dent and executive director of transportation at the New York City Board of Education.
NHTSA: Administrator Says Adding Seat Belts to School Buses Must Be a Local Decision NHTSA Administrator David Strickland testified in March before a House
subcommittee that additional safety features for motorcoaches, namely seat belts, should not be considered for school buses, which remain the safest mode of travel for students, he said. On March 22, Ranking Member G.K. Butterfield (D–N.C.) of the House Subcommittee
on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade asked for NHTSA’s position during a hearing on Motor Vehicle Safety Provisions in House and Senate Highway Bills. Strickland earlier
testified that NHTSA’s NPRM on safety belts in motorcoaches could be finalized this year. Butterfield asked Strickland whether NHTSA was also considering seat belts for school buses, citing an “awful” crash about 25
years ago in his district, located in the northeastern part of the state. Butterfield said all the students on board were killed. Strickland answered that school buses are completely different vehicles than motorcoaches and reiterated NHTSA’s previous action to permit states or local jurisdictions to make decisions on equipping seat belts in school buses. “Te reason is this: Te safest form of transportation for schoolchildren is school buses, period,” said Strickland.
Trans Tech Bus recently debuted its new eTrans all-electric Type A school bus in the city of Albany, N.Y., as the vehicle tours the country. The eTrans’ visit to the Empire State Plaza in Albany included ride-along opportunities for government officials and media representatives.
20 School Transportation News Magazine June 2012
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