WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a rule creating a new category of school buses for use in transporting children on trips other than to-and-from school.
The implication of the rule for the motorcoach industry isn't totally clear and is being studied by both the United Motorcoach Association and the American Bus Association.
It was fairly quickly determined that the rule does not require children making school activity trips be transported in the new category of bus. Meaning schools can still contract with coach companies to have their children transported to school-related events in conventional motorcoaches.
However, if schools do their own transporting for these types of trips, or their contractors handle the transportation, then the new category of buses can be used.
Should more schools opt to buy buses built to the new standards it could have significant implications for both coach operators and manufacturers.
The new category of school buses created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is called the "multifunction school activity bus."
It is defined as a vehicle that is sold for purposes that do not include transportation between home and school for students from kindergarten through grade 12. Under federal law, dealers cannot sell a vehicle that used to transport school-age students to or from school or related events unless it meets all federal motor vehicle safety standards for school buses. Among the requirements for school buses is that they be equipped with flashing lights and stop arms.
NHTSA said the new class of vehicles should serve as a safe choice for companies and institutions that have a need to transport groups of children. "A particular safety benefit exists for transporting 12-to-15 passengers, since school buses have a better safety record than 15-passenger vans for this purpose," said NHTSA.
"This modification allows institutions to take advantage of the safety benefits associated with school buses, which are by far the safest means of transporting children," said Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, NHTSA administrator.
The new multi-function buses will be exempt from the flashing-lights and stop-arm requirements since they are not to be used for picking up or discharging students on public roadways. While the new multi-function buses are exempt from some traffic control requirements, they are required to meet all other school bus safety standards.
The rule is available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings. It takes effect in less than 30 days.