INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
NATIONAL INITIATIVE LAUNCHED TO INCREASE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
Child Safety Network (CSN) announced the Safe Bus Safety Net- work, a program designed to bring safety enhancements to schools with limited funds so they can implement their own changes. Te program includes driv-
er training, GPS and parental notification alerts available free of charge to schools via corporate sponsorship from the likes of AT&T, Google, Verizon Wireless and Walmart to decrease accidents and student injuries nationwide. In addition to free GPS and
parental notification alerts, CSN Safe Bus offers school districts six training modules from the School Bus Safety Company. Tese include advanced driver training, transporting special needs students and bullying prevention, which the company said has reduced student injuries by at least 30 percent in districts using these programs. “Tey are taking action to
protect the kids, not just talking about it — well done.” said Jeff Cassell, president of School Bus Safety Company. Te program is complimentary to school
districts, school boards and parents because of corporate sponsorship but, according to CSN, it is not school bus advertising. Instead, CSN said the sponsor can only receive recognition on each bus in exchange for providing free child-safety technolo- gy, training and programs. Te sponsor recognition on the bus as well as in
the parental alert would also be subject to approval by the school board. CSN founder Ward Leber added that in ad-
dition to increasing safety, additional goals are to cover costs for school districts while also provide a revenue stream. Additionally, districts would benefit from CSN
relationships with a wide range of celebrities. Journalist Larry King, for example, is featured on a radio PSA that targets motorists who ignore stopped school buses.
Ü BIZ BITES Illinois-based
CHARLOTTE MAYOR NOMINATED TO REPLACE LAHOOD AS U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
President Obama nominated Charlotte, N.C.,
Mayor Anthony Foxx as the nation’s next secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Te Senate must confirm Foxx, who has ties to the commercial bus industry, before he assumes the cabinet position. Current Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
formally announced he would step down earlier this year, but not before attending the American School Bus Council’s “Love the Bus” national event that took place in February. Should Foxx
24 School Transportation News June 2013
be confirmed, ASBC officials told STN it would become a priority to develop a relationship with him as they did with LaHood. “Outgoing Secretary of Transportation Ray La- Hood has been a true friend of the school trans- portation industry,” ASBC said in a statement. “We are very grateful that he has twice participat- ed in our ‘Love the Bus’ program and his personal and professional commitment to our ‘Learn the Facts — Play It Safe’ project is invaluable.”
Veolia Transportation secured a five-year contract with Boston Public Schools to manage operations and maintenance of the district’s bus fleet starting in July ... Trans Tech Bus added two new dealers to their dealer network: Brattain Bus Sales in Albany, Ore., and Harlow’s Bus Sales in Washington state … IC Bus will hold four training sessions for bus technicians at its Tulsa plant June 10-14, June 24-28, July 8-12 and July 29-Aug. 2 … National Express Corporation said it became the first school bus contractor to be awarded an ANSI/ AIHA Z10-2012 Safety Management System certificate for the provision of student transportation services within North America … Denver-based School Bus Logistics introduced a new line of professional routing services including route planning and scheduling; student, stop and route maintenance; and an annual evaluation of runs/routes … Transfinder held its Fourth Annual Client Conference from May 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas, bringing together roughly 200 student transportation professionals … Zonar held its inaugural “The Zone” user conference May 14-16 in San Antonio.
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