THOUGHT LEADER
Why Invest in ‘Green’ School Buses? Written By Phil Horlock | Blue Bird President & CEO S
imply stated, we all want the same thing: A school bus that’s the safest means of transporting our kids to and from school. Ensuring that school buses are the cleanest vehicles they can be, from an
emissions standpoint, is instrumental, even foundational to what comprises safe transportation. Why wouldn’t any school district, school board or parent want that? As more districts adopt alternative-fuel school buses,
there is more acceptance in the community. There are also more resources available, because the public sees and likes the results. There are compelling reasons why alter- native-fuel powered buses represent the fastest growing segment in the school bus industry, led by propane. Not only do we have a “green” bus, but we also have the bus with the lowest cost of operation on the market, which saves fuel, maintenance and even infrastructure costs. As a result, school districts are finding that green
means more money back in the classroom, when oper- ating cost-savings in transportation can fund teachers’ salaries and student programs. That’s why investing in green school buses is good business for school districts. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that all green buses are not the same. I encourage potential buyers to consider those buses that beat the current EPA emissions standard, where manufacturers, such as Blue Bird, have invested millions of dollars in R&D to be able to offer “Ultra-Low NOx” emission school buses. These are the cleanest buses on the market, certified to one-tenth of the EPA NOx emissions standard. That’s great news for the environment, and even better news for our children and their parents.
Getting Past the Price Tag The price of an alt-fuel bus, other than gas, is normally higher than diesel when fleet officials look to convert. But
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54 School Transportation News • JULY 2019
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