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Happy New Year!
 On behalf of OSBA President Mark Begg, the Board of Directors and Contractors, we wish all members a very Happy New Year and best wishes that the coming year brings you good health, happiness, opportunities and success! OSBA extends sincere appreciation to all members and their staff for the incredible care and commitment demonstrated over the past year in delivering kids to school safely, on-time and ready to learn. Each and every task, job, and role makes a significant impact on student transportation in Ontario. Once again wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New year! |
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Seatbelts Would Be Safer for Simcoe County Kids on School Buses, Study Says
Article Source: Simcoe.com
Article Date: January 4, 2019
With the new year comes a fresh look at protecting children on school buses.
Federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau is in the process of examining the addition of seatbelts on school buses. “The reason school buses haven’t had seatbelts up to this point is they use an alternative occupant protection system known as compartmentalization,” Ontario School Bus Association safety and legislation consultant Alex Bugeya said. “Just as a seatbelt protects you in a car, school buses use a passive system, which is high-backed, well padded, closely spaced seats.”
 The seats form a protective compartment for students during a crash, he said. The bus' rounded roof and small windows also prevent occupants from being ejected, Bugeya added.
But according to a 2010 Transport Canada study, school buses "failed" safety tests and suggested seatbelts could prevent injuries where a pickup truck or larger vehicle hits the side of a bus.
“The study has shown that perhaps in side-impact and rollover crashes, there might be benefits to three-point seatbelts in school buses.”
However, Bugeya said that study was never released publicly. “It’s important to understand school buses have a fantastic safety record,” he said. “All this discussion about seatbelts is about making school buses even safer.”
Bugeya said his organization is supportive of seatbelts, but said there would be added costs to school bus companies if seatbelts are mandated by the ministry. “Currently, the driver is responsible to ensure anyone under 16 is wearing their seatbelt,” he said. “How does that look when you’re dealing with 70 passengers? Do you need (bus) monitors? How to we fund the retrofits?”
There’s also the concern about what would happen in the event of an evacuation. “I think it’s a good thing the province is taking a look at it,” Bugeya said.
John Barbato, CEO and general manager of the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium, said he would follow whatever the law dictates. “Right now, seatbelts are not regulated to be on school buses,” Barbato said. “If the legislation changes, we have mechanisms within our contract to ensure we are in compliance.”
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2019 P.R.I.D.E. Program Dates Available!
2019 Professional Instructor in Driver Education (P.R.I.D.E.) Program dates are now available! See below for details. For almost 30 years, the P.R.I.D.E. Program has been providing fleet driver instructors with powerful, non-lecture adult training techniques and philosophies that resonate with drivers and help maintain safe driving habits.
 2019 Regular P.R.I.D.E. Certification Program:
View the full 2019 Program Brochure here
View the 2019 Registration Form here
- January 20-25
- March 10-15 (March break)
- April 7-12
- May 26-31
- July 7-12
- July 14-19
- August 11-16
- October 20-25
- November 17-22
2019 P.R.I.D.E. Recertification Program:
View the full 2019 Recertification Program Brochure here
View the 2019 Recertification Registration Form here
- February 13
- April 13
- June 12
- July 31
- November 6
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Baron Launches Weather Monitoring Tools for Safety
Article Source: School Bus Fleet
Article Date: December 21, 2018
Baron in Huntsville, AL a provider of critical weather solutions, has introduced a new suite of products for active weather monitoring and forecasting tools for public safety. Baron's Threat Net features an operations center, mobile and web-based accessibility. The suite of products allows users to monitor weather and safety for situational awareness by location and includes custom alerts, such as Baron’s location-based pinpoint alerting and standard alerts from the National Weather Service that can be delivered via in-app notifications, push or text notifications, and email.
 Baron’s technology is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to customers who might not have any meteorological background and can be used in a variety of public safety settings such as schools.
Baron’s Threat Net features high-resolution, customizable mapping down to street level, a full-screen interactive mode, storm vectors enabling storm tracking up to an hour in advance, and a critical weather indicator that warns users in real time of dangerous storm situations.
In addition, Baron’s Threat Net has a tropical weather package that provides data on hurricanes and their unique features, as well as hurricane tracking and forecasting tools. The Threat Net also can provide public safety information on non-weather environmental threats such as HAZMAT disasters by determining rain or wind conditions that may spread chemical spills, and toxic smoke and gases.
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Upcoming 2019 OSBA Webinar Dates
 OSBA conducts 4-5 webinars per year to assist in educating and informing members of timely and pertinent industry issues and initiatives. These webinars provide excellent learning opportunities for school bus operators, transportation consortia, and supplier/manufacturer owners and staff from the comfort and convenience of individual offices, homes or anywhere with a computer and internet! These educational opportunities are offered on a complimentary basis to all OSBA members.
Mark Your Calendar:
- January 30, 2019
- March 27, 2019
- May 15, 2019
- October 16, 2019
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Rotary Unveils New Wireless Mobile Column Lift
Article Source: School Bus Fleet
Article Date: December 20, 2018
Rotary Lift in Madison, IN has expanded its product lineup to include the Rotary Flex Max lift, a new remote-controlled, wireless mobile column lift.
The Rotary Flex Max, powered by RedFire, is available in configurations of two, four, six, or eight columns, and provides lifting capacities of 14,000 or 18,800 pounds per column. It can be used to lift most medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, according to Rotary Lift.
 “Our new Flex Max mobile column lift raises the bar on performance by giving technicians the choices they want in order to work in the most personally comfortable, productive, and efficient way possible,” said Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift heavy-duty product manager. “While many prefer the remote control for speed and the additional visibility around the vehicle it provides, others like the familiarity of running the lift from any of the columns.”
Rotary Lift's remote-controlled system reduces setup time by guiding the technician through the process and eliminating the need to stay at each column to sync it before moving to the next.
The Flex Max is equipped with Rotary Lift's patent-pending LockLight technology that shows technicians and shop managers whether the lift is resting on its mechanical load-holding locks. If a vehicle is in the air and the Flex Max lift’s locks are engaged, the built-in green light on top of the columns will illuminate, indicating to technicians that they can work on the vehicle.
The Rotary Flex Max is battery-operated with an onboard charger, and software updates can be completed without cords, keys, chips or opening the lift panel.
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Manitoba Parents Group Pushing for Mandatory Seatbelts on School Buses
Article Source: CTV News
Article Date: January 9, 2019
A group of Manitoba parents wants the province to consider making seat belts mandatory on school buses. A rural Manitoba mom, Petra McGowan, is spearheading the effort. The mother of a six-year-old girl who spends about an hour and a half each day bussing between home and school in St. Anne, MB. said she wasn’t prepared to send her daughter on a bus without belts.
“I come from Europe, where the majority of school buses are equipped with seatbelts, so it was a little bit of a rude surprise to see that there were none. “She was a bit confused as well,” said McGowan, “because since she was a little child, we were drilling her in seatbelt safety and she always has to buckle up when she goes into a car.”
McGowan said she began researching, reviewing a 1984 Transport Canada study often cited as evidence school buses are safer without seatbelts and investigations from the documentary program The Fifth Estate. What she learned led her to conclude the current approach is flawed, and she says views are changing.
 “Seeing that in Ontario, the first bill to activate school buses with mandatory seatbelts was introduced, I wanted to see my province be the second leading province on the topic.”
She decided to take action, founding a group called Manitoba Parents for Mandatory Seatbelts. McGowan said they created a Facebook group earlier this week and since then she has heard from parents who share her concerns.
“They’re glad I’m taking it on. Lots of them are saying they were always wondering about this, but they were sort of shut down by the status quo – that Transport Canada deems it safe. And now when they see more of the details, they’re getting excited that such initiative is taking place in the province.”
In October, the federal transport minister gave orders to his department to review data on school bus safety and seatbelts. The following month, former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne introduced a private member’s bill in Ontario with the hope of mandating seatbelts in school buses there.
A spokesperson for Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said they’re aware of the push in Manitoba. “The Minister’s office did receive correspondence from the individual in question very recently, and will be responding in short order. The federal government is reviewing this matter and we await their findings,” said the spokesperson in an email.
Erika Miller with CAA Manitoba said it’s reviewing the issue and believes legislators should too. In a statement, she said, “CAA encourages the appropriate authorities to address the issue of whether seatbelts on school buses should be made mandatory. As a leader in road safety issues and owner of the CAA School Safety Patrol program, CAA trains the program based on standards as set by government authorities.”
McGowan says if the current push does lead to change in Manitoba, it will bring parents like her peace of mind. “I worry, I clearly worry. The bus is five minutes late and I’m literally freaking out. We all love our children, we want the best for them, and the fact that their safety is being overlooked does rub me the wrong way as a mother.”
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Tire Manufacturer Opens Research Laboratory for Dandelion Rubber
Article Source: School Bus Fleet
Article Date: December 20, 2018
Automotive supplier and tire manufacturer Continental of Anklam, Germany recently opened a new research laboratory to investigate the use of dandelions as an alternative to the rubber tree.
The Taraxagum Lab Anklam will be set as the base for future research on farming and the extraction process of Russian dandelion as an alternative raw material source to the rubber tree in the tropics. If initial test results indicate viability, the tire manufacturer is planning to introduce the raw material into serial production within ten years, according to a news release from Continental.
 “We are proud to inaugurate this lighthouse project today,” said Nikolai Setzer, member of the executive board of Continental AG and head of the tire division. “We are the first tire manufacturer in the world to invest such a significant amount in industrializing dandelion rubber. We see Russian dandelion as an important alternative and complementary to conventional natural rubber from hevea brasiliensis allowing us to meet rising global demand in an environmentally compatible and reliable way.”
Setzer added that the company’s investment in the new laboratory is part of its Vision 2025 business strategy, in which Continental has invested more than 2 billion euros in production, research, and development as well as in jobs and new products.
Approximately 20 employees with a background in agricultural sciences, chemistry, and production and process technology will conduct research on plant cultivation, in addition to developing, setting up, and operating machines for processing Russian dandelions at the new location.
For more information about the Taraxagum project, go to www.taraxagum.com.
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Plan for Electric Buses in Winnipeg Could Be Moving Forward
Article Source: CTV News
Article Date: January 2, 2019
 A plan to electrify Winnipeg buses could be edging forward.
A new report says the city should conduct a detailed study on the cost of buying and running 12 to 20 battery electric buses. It says the analysis should also include the type of charging infrastructure that would be required. The report says once the test fleet of up to 20 is in operation and cost and benefits are better understood, transit could add 20 to 30 battery electric buses a year until the entire diesel fleet of 630 is replaced.
It also says a standard battery electric bus costs $1.2 million to purchase versus diesel at $600,000, but says the higher prices are expected to drop over the next three to five years. The report suggests the city could partner with Ottawa because of billions of dollars’ worth of transit and green infrastructure funding available.
Between 2014 and 2017 the city and the province did a trial run with four electric transit buses.
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Proposed NYC Bill Calls for All-Electric School Buses
Article Source: School Transportation News
Article Date: December 12, 2018
The New York City Council recently announced a proposed amendment to Administrative Code 24-163.9, which changes the lifespan of school buses and requires electric school buses.
Local legislation File # 0455-2018 proposes to change the lifespan on all non-electric school buses from 16 to 10 years of use after the original manufacturing date. The introduced amendment also states that as of the year 2040, all school buses in New York City that are subject to Department of Education contracts must be replaced with all-electric, zero-emission school buses.
 According to the NYCDOE, there are currently bus contracts covering 8,000 routes that serve 150,000 students daily.
“[Going all-electric] means better air quality for all New Yorkers,” said Michael Mallon, a spokesman for Office of NYC Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm.
Council member Dromm is listed as the prime sponsor of this introduced legislation.
The proposal also addresses the lifespan of CNG and hybrid school buses. After 2020, all school buses of these fuel types can only be used for 10 years after the manufacture date. “We believe that 10 years after manufacture is an adequate, sensible period of time,” Mallon said.
Neither the bill summary nor the bill itself made mention propane or gasoline school buses. Mallon said these buses will be allowed until 2039. The bill summary of said that on-site chargers would be required to power the electric buses. However, this stipulation is not found in the actual bill. Mallon said the legislation may be revised, following a planned hearing on Dec. 17, so that the language appears in the actual bill.
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Students Who Know School Bus Safety Make the Bus Safer
Article Source: School Transportation News
Article Date: December 14, 2018
Battle Ground Public School students in Washington state are rewarded weekly with tickets for following the district’s basic school bus rules, as part of the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The five rules are:
- Be respectful to everyone.
- Sit facing forward.
- Keep feet and body out of the aisle.
- Food and drinks stay in backpacks and lunch boxes.
- Use inside voices and zero voices at railroad crossings.
 One school bus driver who participates in the Bravo ticket program stands out to her employers and was inducted into the Student Transportation Inc., Safety Wall of Fame in October.
Helen Peterson, a Student Transportation of America (STA) bus driver for Battle Ground Public Schools, recognizes five students a week who best illustrate the five rules listed above. These students receive Bravo tickets that can then be cashed in for various prizes.
Peterson and other drivers cover several different training techniques with their students. Basic bus riding requirements covered with students include the operation of the fire extinguisher, contents in the first aid kit, emergency phone numbers and how to operate a two-way radio. Students are also taught what to do if the bus driver becomes disabled, as well as location and knowledge of exit doors, windows and hatches in case of an evacuation.
 “If my students know safety, then it makes my job of driving a lot safer and easier,” Peterson said. “It allows me to keep my eyes on the road and keep the kids safe.”
School bus drivers in Washington state are expected to review the basic bus safety rules with students and attend meetings to be current on the school’s rules and regulations. Bus Evacuation Safety training is also covered by the STA for all new bus drivers, with training refresher courses held twice a year.
“I do training to cover the basic bus riding requirements during the state required Bus Evacuation Drills that take place in October and March of each school year,” Peterson said. “One example, I teach the kids to not get up at stops by demonstrating the sound of the air brakes (parking brake) to them. Basically, I have the kids sit quietly at the school and I start the engine and release the brake. I then have the kids practice standing up after they hear the brake set noise, to demonstrate to them how to wait until the bus is secured at their bus stops.”
Peterson was described by Worley as very knowledgeable about the safety policy and procedures. She always helps new drivers and has an exemplary attendance record.
“She is also extremely attentive to teaching her students how to properly behave on her bus,” Worley said. “Helen is an example of integrity, holding others to the same standards she holds herself to and expecting more from herself than from others.” |
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Order Your OSBA Publications Now!
Visit the OSBA website at www.osba.on.ca and click on the "STORE" tab from the home page to order the following OSBA publications. Or click on the links below and go directly to each order form:
Once you have completed the necessary order form, please scan/email it to info@osba.on.ca or fax it to 416-695-9977.
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