Simple Steps to Make Your Buses Run Cleaner

Posted by American Bus Sales

green_bus

While there many school bus fleets making the switch to alternative fuels such as propane autogas, you don’t have to invest huge amounts of money to cut down emissions from your buses and limit their effect on the environment. The EPA has issued a list of simple steps anyone, including school officials, bus owners and drivers, parents, and students can make to make the safest transportation option in America a little safer for the environment as well.

School Officials

  • Establish idle reduction policies
  • Work with bus companies to ensure idle reduction policies are adopted
  • Minimize the time that children spend outside when school buses are arriving or departing
  • Deploy cleanest buses on longest routes
  • If possible, shorten commute times for children
  • Discourage drivers from following directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke
  • Post no-idling signs on school grounds
  • Provide a space inside the school where drivers can wait on cold days
  • Limit idling of delivery vehicles on school grounds
  • Develop educational programs for students about air pollution

Bus Owners / Operators

  • Adopt idle reduction policies
  • Educate drivers and recognize drivers that reduce idling time
  • Keep buses well maintained
  • Take steps to retrofit existing buses with pollution controls and idle reduction devices
  • Replace the oldest buses with newer, cleaner buses
  • Discourage drivers from following directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke

Bus Drivers

  • Follow idle reduction guidelines established by school officials and/or bus owners
  • When standing, turn off the school bus engine
  • Avoid driving directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke

Parents

  • Talk with school officials about establishing idle reduction programs
  • Talk with school transportation providers about establishing idle reduction programs
  • Do not idle your personal vehicle

Students

  • Talk with school officials about reducing school bus idling
  • Talk with bus drivers about idle reduction
  • Help school officials make and post no-idling signs