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New buses for region’s school districts
The East Kootenay’s two school districts are getting in on the action in a provincial government announcement that it is spending $10.5 million to purchase new school buses.
The Southeast Kootenay School District (SD5) is getting three new 84-passenger buses, valued at $378,329 and the Rocky Mountain School District is getting two new buses, one a 70-passenger and the other a 76-passenger, valued at $199,842.
A Feb. 7 Ministry of Education new release notes that the province is buying about 100 new “cost-effective buses,” part of a $10.5 million program that will help 32 school districts replace old vehicles in their fleets.
“About 100 buses will be purchased and this year, for the first time, the ministry and the Association of Student Transportation Services of BC negotiated fixed prices from multiple B.C. vendors, to help save approximately 15 per cent on bus replacements. This allows districts to choose from different vendors and purchase buses at the most competitive prices, regardless of where they are in the province. The same offers are also available to independent and band-operated schools so they can save on bus orders,” the ministry press release noted.
“School buses reduce the number of vehicles and accidents in school zones and are one of the safest modes of transportation for children. Every school bus is designed to meet safety standards set out by Transport Canada, the Canadian Standards Association and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. School buses must also pass routine inspections by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” it added.
“This new fleet of buses reflects government’s commitment to the safety of our children. This investment is a great example of how, by working together and being innovative, we can save time and money so that even more resources can be focused on our students and teachers in the classroom,” said Minister of Education George Abbott, who recently toured schools in Cranbrook.
Quick Facts:
* The 46 school districts in the province own and operate more than 1,000 school buses.
* In total, B.C. school buses travel approximately 180,000 kilometres each school day.
* Transport Canada research shows school bus travel to be 16 times safer than travelling in a family car.
To read about school bus safety visit:
www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safedrivers-childsafety-schoolbus-index-142.htm
To find out about the Association of School Transportation Services
of B.C. visit: www.astsbc.org/index.html
To learn more about BC’s Education Plan, visit: www.bcedplan.ca
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