RALEIGH, N.C. The beginning of the end, or perhaps the end of the beginning, may be in sight for North Carolina motorcoach operators that for the past six years have had to cope with a maze of safety inspections and rules that have made it difficult to do charter work for public schools.

A provision in the state budget thats working its way through the current legislature calls for the State Board of Education to work with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to develop a plan for a statewide permit program for motorcoach companies that do charter work for schools.

Currently, all school districts are essentially mandated to develop their own approved list of charter carriers based on their own safety inspections.

This requirement has resulted in an inspection and administrative quagmire for operators, as well as schools. (See Oct. 1, 2007 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

North Carolina coach operators and the North Carolina Motorcoach Association have been working for more than two years to develop a more workable system.

State Sen. A.B. Swindell was able to get language included in the current budget bill which would require the state DMV to develop a plan and present it by Jan. 1.

"Last year, we got a measure passed that required a study," said David Brown, a former president of the North Carolina Motorcoach Association and operator of Holiday Companies in Randleman, N.C.

However, the legislation was ignored and the language of state lawmakers not followed. Brown is hopeful the state DMV wont be able to deflect the provision contained in this years budget bill.

Under the proposed measure, the state school board and DMV are required to come up with a permit system that not only assures student safety and safe operations by motorcoach companies but it also must minimize paperwork, visits to motorcoach companies by local school systems, and the need for motorcoach companies to respond to multiple requests for information from multiple school systems.

The school board and DMV also must consult with the North Carolina School Boards Association, the State Highway Patrol, the North Carolina Pupil Transportation Association, the North Carolina Motor Coach Association, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and other interested parties in developing the permit.

Components of the new system must include standards for issuing the permit; duration of the permit; process for required inspections; entity to conduct inspections; conditions for revoking the permit; a renewal process; fees to cover the cost of implementation and administration, and impact on motorcoach companies that have interstate operations.