Mesa Public Schools in Arizona operates 25 Collins low-floor Type A school buses to increase accessibility for students with special needs.


be configured to carry up to six wheelchairs and three ambulatory passengers, which is another of Micro Bird’s industry innovations and exclusivities, driven by our understanding of our customers’ needs.” Micro Bird noted that smaller routes across North America are being improperly operated with large


conventional buses that are not filled to their passenger capacity. The added expense of maintaining and oper- ating a bigger bus with low student ridership results in a less than optimal cost ratio, the company relayed. According to Micro Bird, the extended body design of the 36-passenger G5 allows operators to add more rows of seats without sacrificing comfort and safety. It also allows for additional space to meet social distancing requirements. Collins’ Hiebert suggested school districts can make a better business case for purchasing a small bus—EV or otherwise—over a comparable conventional bus. “I would argue that the [total cost of ownership] for two Type As versus one Type C is more affordable. Some school districts are operating a Type C in an environ- ment that they don’t need them. It’s not fully utilized,” current physical distancing requirements notwithstand- ing, he added. Meanwhile, it’s been a year and a half since Thomas


Built Buses announced an agreement with Trans Tech for the latter to build the new Minotrek, which is now available. The narrow body minibus is designed to carry up to 20 student passengers. ●


52 School Transportation News • MARCH 2021


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